Country
Belgium
code

West Flanders

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Ostend: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z7438
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Manston at 1400LT on an anti-shipping operation. Approaching the Belgian coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Ostend. The wireless operator was killed and both other crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Frank Landseer Campbell-Rogers, pilot,
Sgt David Edward Bingham, observer,
Sgt John Patrick Sullivan, wireless operator. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Ostend: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6035
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Manston on an anti-shipping operation. Approaching the Belgian coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Ostend. Two crew members were killed and a third became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Philip Bernard Ashby, pilot, †
P/O Gilbert Frank Lowes, observer,
P/O Gerald Henry Seeley, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Ostend: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6321
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Manston - Manston
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Manston at 1400LT on an anti-shipping operation. Approaching the Belgian coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Henry Percival Hartridge, pilot,
Sgt Charles Douglas Phillips, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Buck Minty, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Snaaskerke: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
Z8788
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
Snaaskerke
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2239LT on July 21 on an operation to Mannheim. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Snaaskerke. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Norman Lachlan Johnston, pilot,
Sgt Frank Stubbington Payne, pilot,
Sgt Richard Stanley Saunders, observer,
Sgt Howard Tucker, wireless operator,
Sgt Hubert Vernon, wireless operator,
Sgt Bernard William O'Hara, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Snaaskerke: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6743
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
MSN:
2131
YOM:
1941
Location:
Snaaskerke
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2229LT on July 9 on an operation to Aachen. After passing the Belgian coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Snaaskerke. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Peter John McLean, pilot,
Sgt Reginald Brearley, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Eaves, wireless operator,
P/O Grahame Gordon Whitting, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Ostend: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1941 at 0335 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6492
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton St George - Middleton St George
MSN:
2004
YOM:
1941
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2232LT on June 16 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea some 50 km off Ostend. All four crew members were killed.
crew:
Sgt Harry Bailey,
Sgt Herbert Thomas Ivory,
P/O Dennys Savage Walton Lake,
Sgt Robert Campbell Rae.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Zeebrugge: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1758
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Zeebrugge
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 1530LT for an armed reconnaissance mission off the French and Belgian coasts. Intercepted northeast of Calais, it was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea off Zeebrugge. The pilot was killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
W/Cdr Roy George Claringbould Arnold, pilot, †
Sgt Reginald Harry Barratt,
F/O Thomas Albert Bax,
F/Lt Dominic Bruce,
Sgt James Murray Pinkham,
Sgt Harold Arthur Wink.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Houthulst: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
X3119
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Houthulst
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 0010LT on an operation to Cologne. While cruising over Belgium at night, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Houthulst. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Robert Beaumont Hanmer, pilot,
Sgt Frank Archibald Whitehead, pilot,
Sgt Ernest Stanley Phillips, wireless operator,
Sgt John Robert Ronnie, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Ostend: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
X3162
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Ostend. Approaching the target area, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. The entire crew was killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Anthony Louis Henry Barber, pilot,
P/O Norman Crichton Maciver,
Sgt James Leslie Montague,
P/O William Wilson McMaster,
Sgt William Connor Stone,
Sgt Stanley Albert Wilkins.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Zedelgem: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
T1897
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Swanton Morley - Swanton Morley
Location:
Zedelgem
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Swanton Morley at 1902LT to attack aerodromes. In the evening, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Zedelgem, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
F/Sgt Patrick Ranby Richardson, pilot,
Sgt James Frederick Donlon, observer,
Sgt Vivian Charles Gifford, wireless operator and air gunner.
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