West Sussex | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane was attacked by the pilots of two Spitfires and crashed at Castle Farm by Shoreham. A crew died and three other became PoW.
Crew:
Fw Heitsch, pilot,
Fw Pfeiffer, observer,
Fw Stephan Schmidt, wireless operator, †
Fw Sauter, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 in Nuthurst

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1940 at 1800 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

4D+AA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Eindhoven - Eindhoven

MSN:

0274

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Eindhoven Airport at 1530LT to bomb the London Docks. It was shot down by Spitfires and crash landed in Nuthurst. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Oblt Rolf Heim, pilot,
Uffz Josef Beck, observer,
Fw A Fuhs, radio operator,
Uffz Walter Baustian, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P off Bracklesham Bay: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1940 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

G1+DM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Chartres - Chartres

MSN:

2124

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Chartres to attack Portsmouth harbor. Approaching the British coast, it was shot down by the pilot of a Spitfire and crashed into the sea off Bracklesham Bay. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
Lt Albert Metzger, pilot,
Uffz Rolf Schandner, observer, †
Uffz Rudi Paas, radio operator, †
Fw Julius Urhahn, flight engineer, †
Fg Rudolf Fessel, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I off Bracklesham Bay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1940 at 1645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

T1804

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was completing a local training exercice out from RAF Thorney Island when it was mistakenly shot down by the pilot of a Hurricane. It crashed into the sea off Bracklesham Bay, killing bot crew members.
Crew:
P/O David Noel Woodger,
Sgt Daniel Leslie Wright.

Probable cause:

Mistakenly shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at RAF Thorney Island

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1940 at 1640 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z5736

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was completing a local training exercice out from RAF Thorney Island when it was mistakenly shot down by the pilot of a Hurricane. It crashed upon landing at RAF Thorney Island and was damaged beyond repair. Both crew escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Sgt K. E. Naish,
Sgt Owen.

Probable cause:

Mistakenly shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P in High Salvington: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

G1+FR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1582

YOM:

1936

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 pilot of an RAF Spitfire and crashed in Honeysuckle Lake in High Salvington, north of Worthing. Three crew members became PoW while two others, Albert Weber and Johannes Moorfeld, were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off RAF Thorney Island

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1940 at 0010 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

L7047

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While returning to RAF Thorney Island following a maritime patrol flight over the North Sea, the aircraft went out of control on final approach and plunged into the sea, few hundred yards offshore. All four crew members were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew (48th Squadron):
P/O Carson C. Proby,
P/O B. A. P. Williams,
LAC W. McIlvenney,
LAC A. V. Wallace.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the pilot was blinded by searchlight on approach, causing the airplane to crash into the sea.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in West Wittering

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

K6224

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a territorial surveillance mission along the south coast, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. The pilot decided to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing in a field when the aircraft hit the ground and crashed. All four crew members were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Crew from the 48th Squadron.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at RAF Tangmere: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1127

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Tangmere - Tangmere

MSN:

8410

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training mission at RAF Tangmere. On final approach in poor weather conditions, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Monroe-Hinds, pilot,
P/O Hugh Kendrick Arthur Drummond,
P/O Martin Victor Dugdale.