Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Tidworth: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1942 at 0620 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R5789
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham in the early morning on an operation to Cherbourg. While outbound, the starboard engine caught fire and the heavily laden aircraft began to lose height. The pilot was reluctant to jettison the bomb load for fear of injuring people on the ground, but as a precaution he ordered six of the crew to bail out. The two pilots then tried to make an emergency landing, but in the pitch black conditions they failed to see a line of trees and the Manchester crashed at 0620LT at Wiltshire Cross near Tidworth. Both pilots were killed and all six other crew members parachuted to safety.
Crew:
P/O Douglas Spencer Matthews, pilot, †
P/O Thomas Ivor Ravenhill Wilson, copilot, †
F/O C. A. Giles, navigator,
Sgt Lorimer, wireless operator,
Sgt Fryer, wireless operator,
P/O S. P. Walsh, air gunner,
Sgt J. Brown, air gunner,
P/O Lancaster, regional control officer.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Gaanderen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1941 at 2311 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AD804
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Hüls. Damaged by a German fighter, it crash landed in Gaanderen, southeast of Doetinchem. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Rowland Cheesman, wireless operator, †
Sgt Thomas Edwin Barnett,
Sgt William Gilbey,
Sgt Thomas Samuel Jones.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
P1295
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Hüls. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Edward Boyce Whitaker, pilot,
Sgt Alfred Collier,
Sgt John Frederick Skingsley, wireless operator,
Sgt Jack William Woodall.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Brest: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
AD921
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on a mine laying operation off Brest. Believed to have crashed into the sea off the target area. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Alfred Palmer Vincent Atkinson,
P/O David McLaren,
Sgt Thomas John Pearce,
Sgt Ronald John Pulham,
Sgt Alfred Harry Taylor.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
AE353
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Brest. While returning to base, it is believed that it crashed in The Channel of the Sussex coast. Maybe it was damaged over the target area. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Arthur John Benning Monk, pilot,
P/O Christopher Bradley Payne, pilot,
P/O Archibald Locksley Smiley, observer,
P/O John Humphrey Dunn, wireless operator,
Sgt Charles Edward Gailey, wireless operator.

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

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941 at 0515 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AD791
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Aachen. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Oteppe, west of Liège. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Frank Kert Calcutt, pilot,
F/Sgt Arthur Henry Lawrence, observer,
Sgt Richard Eric Hirons, wireless operator,
Sgt Geoffrey Barnes, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Birdlip: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
AE440
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base, in crashed into high ground near Birdlip. Moments before the crash, the Hampden had broken through low cloud. A crew was killed.
Crew:
Sgt George Herbert Cornish, wireless operator, †
Sgt Robinson,
Sgt Martin,
P/O Farrington.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I at RAF North Luffenham: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1941 at 2343 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AE311
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham in the afternoon on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base in the late evening, it swung on touchdown and collided with the airfield control caravan. All four crew members escaped uninjured while two airmen in the caravan were killed and a third was injured.
Crew:
Sgt Nightingale,
Sgt Sparks,
Sgt Gailey,
Sgt Ward.
Ground crew:
AC2 Frederick George Malin, †
AC1 George Roberts, †
LAC A. T. Higgins.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I at RAF Lichfield

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
AE238
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Cologne. It was hit by the German Flak and while returning to base, it crashed upon landing and was damaged beyond repair. All four crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Woodhall,
Sgt Pomroy,
Sgt Todd,
Sgt Lynch.
Probable cause:
Hit by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Spiekeroog Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
AE253
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an anti-shipping operation. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Spiekeroog Island. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Frederick Lawrance Kidd, pilot, †
Sgt Peter Mcleod Reed, observer,
Sgt Edgar Crowe, wireless operator, †
Sgt James Blair Blackwood, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.