Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA in Thurlby: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 13, 1942 at 1645 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7519
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a training flight. While cruising at an estimated altitude of 800 feet, the aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground. All five occupants were killed.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/S P. J. W. Blake,
P/O A. Bartlett,
F/S R. L. Cunningham,
LAC W. S. Stevens,
AC1 L. Harrison.
Probable cause:
The reason of loss of control has been undetermined.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA in Store Lind: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1942 at 0220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7489
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Skellingthorpe at 2146LT on May 8 on a bombing mission to Hamburg, Germany. While overflying Denmark by night, the captain ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft for unclear reasons. Six crew members bailed out while the captain remain seated in the cockpit until the aircraft crashed in a field located in Store Lind, some 8 km southwest of Stege, on Møn Island. All six other crew were unhurt and rescued.
Crew (50th Squadron):
Sgt Maurice Gruber, pilot, †
Sgt S. Garbutt,
P/O H. F. Avery,
Sgt J. Pearce,
Sgt D. Broadhead,
Sgt R. Solomon,
Sgt K. G. R. Johnson.
Photos: http://www.flensted.eu.com/194218.shtml

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Lilholt: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1942 at 0415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7399
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Coningsby at 2225LT on May 2 on a bombing mission to Germany. While overflying Denmark by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a field located in Lilholt, some 14 km west of Haderslev. Five crew members were killed while two others survived.
Crew (106th Squadron):
F/Sgt William Lewis Johnston Young, pilot, †
Sgt Graham Wale, pilot, †
W/O Alexander Collingwood Bryce, observer, †
Sgt Richard George Davies, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt H. Kendall, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt A. E. Hanks, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Henry MacLean, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Düsseldorf: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7456
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Skellingthorpe at 2316LT on May 30 on a bombing mission to Cologne. While approaching Düsseldorf by night and at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the aircraft was hit by the German Flak. The right engine failed and the captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing. The aircraft eventually crash landed near the Düsseldorf-Lohausen Airport and was wrecked. Three crew members were killed while four others were rescued and taken POW.
Crew (50th Squadron):
Sgt J. B. Wilkie,
F/Sgt C. H. Tobias,
Sgt Alan Mowlem Bee, †
Sgt A. C. Benn,
Sgt Douglas Wilson Baird, †
Sgt J. W. Campbell,
Sgt Edward William Finch. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA in Westerland: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7516
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Skellingthorpe at 2142LT on April 29 on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany. While approaching the German coast, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak. The crew reduced his altitude and attempted to make an emergency landing in a field. On touchdown, the aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. Two crew members were killed while all five other occupants were injured.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/Sgt S. Willett,
F/Sgt S. E. Packard,
P/O N. Hannah,
F/Sgt H. S. McDonald,
Sgt C. A. Miners,
Sgt David Alexander Williams, †
Sgt Cecil John Scott. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Visgaarde: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1942 at 0320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7463
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Coningsby at 2200LT on April 23 on a bombing mission to Rostock, Germany. While overflying Denmark by night, an engine overheated and exploded. The captain ordered his crew to bail out and he tried to make an emergency landing. Eventually, he lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a huge explosion in a field located in Visgaarde, some 3 km east of Tinglev. The pilot was killed while all other occupants were uninjured.
Crew (106th Squadron):
P/O Harry Murdoch Stoffer, pilot, †
F/Lt T. Prescott-Decie, pilot,
P/O J. H. Paton,
Sgt I. Hamilton,
Sgt N. S. Lewis,
F/O N. J. C. Pollock,
Sgt J. C. George.
Probable cause:
Engine overheating.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA into The Channel: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7485
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Coningsby at 2050LT on April 16 to lay mines in the mouth of the Gironde River. While overflying The Channel, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea. SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the 7 crew members.
Crew (106th Squadron):
P/O Charles Scatchard, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Henry Power, pilot,
Sgt Robert Robertson, observer,
Sgt Donald Neale Storer,
Sgt Douglas Wightman, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Valentine Rogerson, air gunner,
F/O George William Ward, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I off Lee-on-Solent

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1942 at 0655 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7317
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Coningsby at 2240LT on April 14 on a bombing mission to Dortmund, Germany. Following an uneventful flight, the aircraft returned to its base in UK. While approaching the British coast, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The captain decided to divert to the Lee-on-Solent NAS but the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea few hundred yards off shore. All seven crew were rescued while the aircraft sunk.
Crew (106th Squadron):
P/O J. A. Worswick,
Sgt Jones,
Sgt O'Hare,
F/Sgt Spiby,
Sgt Hutchieson,
Sgt Goodings,
Sgt Cartwright.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Cloppenburg: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1942 at 0045 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7427
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Scampton at 2215LT on April 8 on a bombing mission to Hamburg, Germany. While overflying Germany by night, the aircraft was apparently shot down by enemy fire and crashed in an open field located northeast of Cloppenburg. Six crew members were killed while the seventh occupant was injured. Claim by Fw Gerhard Goerke 1/NJG3 - West of Lastrup South East of Cloppenburg at 0049LT. Also claimed by Flak of 1/schw Res Flak Abt 603 (unknown type) near Lastrup, Cloppenburg at 0045LT.
Crew (83rd Squadron):
P/O Jack Heathcote Morphett, pilot, †
P/O Peter Anthony Lovegrove, pilot,
F/Sgt Geoffrey Douglas Hutchinson, observer, †
F/Sgt Albert Henry Salter, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Reginald Stanley Williams, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt George Charles Fisk, air gunner, †
Sgt Charles Dewitt Gellatly, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Tongeren: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1942 at 0238 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7470
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Woolfox Lodge at 0035LT on April 7 on a bombing mission to Essen, Germany. While overflying Belgium by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Piringen, some 3 km east of Tongeren. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Sgt Eric William Noble, pilot,
Sgt Lloyd John Holmes Lincoln, pilot,
Sgt Robert Eastwood Newton, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Leyshon, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Donavan Peter George Kent, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Neville James Patton, air gunner,
Sgt George Henry Walker, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.