West Midlands | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While on training exercise on behalf of the 10 OTU, the airplane collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed in Quinton. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Donald Urquhart Lowson, pilot,
P/O Neil McCarthy, pilot,
Sgt George Ellis Buckingham, observer,
Sgt Simon Fullard Drummond, wireless operator,
Sgt Gerald Farbrother, wireless operator,
P/O James Graney, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Collision with a barrage balloon cable.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Tidbury Green: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

G1+EM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in an operation to Birmingham. Approaching the city from the south, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Tidbury Green. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
Oblt Johannes Speck, †
Fw Fritz Muhn, †
Fw Siegfried Rühle, †
Fw Rudolf Budde.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Smethwick: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1941 at 0140 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1G+KM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dinard - Dinard

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Dinard-Pleurtuit Airport on an operation to Birmingham. Approaching the target area at night, it was shot down by the crew of a Boulton & Paul Defiant and crashed at Hales Lane, Smethwick, bursting into flames. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW. Seven people on the ground were killed.
Crew:
Fw Rudolf Muller, pilot,
Fw Egon Grolig, navigator, †
Fw Werner Strecke,
Uffz Helmut Hacke, flight engineer. †
Those killed on the ground were:
Amy Hanson,
Doreen Hanson,
Alfred Smart,
Malcolm Smart,
Doris Smart,
Albert Smart,
Brian Smart.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Birmingham: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

T1892

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Swanton Morley - Swanton Morley

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Swanton Morley at 2034LT on an operation to Lorient. It collided with a barrage balloon cable and crashed southwest of Birmingham. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Ian Murray Shirlaw, pilot
P/O Cyril Peter Dugdale, observer,
F/O John Olaf Mair, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Collision with a barrage balloon cable.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Stafford: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1941 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X3124

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2150LT on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it strayed off track and flew into high ground near Stafford. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/C William Waters Stainthorpe, pilot,
P/O Alexander McDougal Melville, pilot and navigator,
Sgt Douglas Vincent Weaving, wireless operator,
Sgt Leslie Emmerson, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon in Castle Bromwich

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1940

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Operator:

Registration:

AW163

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Castle Bromwich - Castle Bromwich

MSN:

6028

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a local solo training flight at Castle Bromwich Airport. After touchdown, he lost control of the airplane that overshot and collided with a fence before coming to rest. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was not repaired.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 near Birmingham

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

M7+CH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

3079

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by the British Flak and is believed to have crashed in the area of Birmingham. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Lt Günther Grunwald, pilot, +3.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the British Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 in Withybrook: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

B3+HH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

7087

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Approaching Coventry, the bomber collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed in Withybrook. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Hptm Henke, †
Uffz Rattay, †
Fw Baur,
Fw Perleberg.

Probable cause:

Collision with the cable of a barrage balloon.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Coventry: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P1336

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a night training mission when the airplane collided with the Coventry balloon barrage and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O James Melville Dundas Irvine, pilot,
Sgt John Raymond Collingham, observer,
AC1 Sydney Ewbank Firth, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Loss of control following an in-flight collision with a barrage balloon.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon at RAF Castle Bromwich

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1940

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Operator:

Registration:

X9399

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

6075

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Just after liftoff at RAF Castle Bromwich, the airplane stalled and crashed. Both crew members were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.