Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9274

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2338

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2024LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Due to poor weather conditions over the target area, the crew was unable to locate Saint-Nazaire and returned to base. On the return leg, the airplane drifted off course to the west. In low visibility over high ground, it impacted the ground and crashed two miles south of Ilkley. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Donald Graham Bray, pilot,
P/O P. D. Smith, observer,
Sgt Harold Downs Reeder, wireless operator,
Sgt George Hugh Whyte, wireless operator,
P/O John Bryce Duncan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Kirby Malzaerd: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942 at 0400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9221

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

2326

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Leeming in the evening of March 27 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Due to poor weather conditions over the target area, the crew was unable to locate Saint-Nazaire and returned to base. On the return leg, the airplane drifted off course. In low visibility over high ground, it impacted trees and crashed in a wooded area near Kirby Malzaerd, bursting into flames. The observer was killed and four other crew members were injured. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire.
Crew:
P/O James Arnold Harrison, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Wallace Paul Emile Louthood, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Murton Colledge, observer,
F/Sgt Michael O'Donovan-Fuller, wireless operator,
Sgt Andrew McArthur Waddell, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into The Channel

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9304

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2368

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2033LT on March 27 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it came down in The Channel and sank. After spending 10 hours in their dinghy, all five crew members were rescued by a minesweeper.
Crew:
F/Sgt Grey,
F/O Whitworth,
P/O Leslie Lisle Orchard,
Sgt Shine,
Sgt Humphreys.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Petten: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942 at 0015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T4166

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Tempsford - Tempsford

MSN:

1859

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Tempsford on Operation 'Watercress', the first of a series of operations involving the dropping of Dutch agents, code named 'Nordpol Spiel' by the British and England Spiel by the Dutch. The passenger, a Dutch agent (Lt A. A. Baatsen) was parachuted some 30 km north from Zwolle and was almost immediately captured by the German. Shortly after midnight, while cruising along the Dutch coast, the airplane was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed about 500 metres offshore. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Charles Evans,
P/O Robert William Franklin,
Sgt Kenneth Hailstone,
F/Sgt John Thompson,
P/O Stanley Widdup,
Sgt George Robert Wood.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley VII off Brest: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z6964

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

MSN:

2981

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Pointe des Espagnols, southwest of Brest. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O William Desmond Stuart Bow, pilot,
P/O Douglas Murray Stein, pilot,
F/O John Wheatley Goldsmith Potter, observer,
Sgt Leonard Kitchener Newman, wireless operator,
Sgt Harold Malcolm Tookey, wireless operator,
Sgt Douglas Arthur Young, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Croft: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1942 at 0040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

Z9389

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2396

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1809LT on March 13 on an operation to Boulogne. While returning to base the following night, the pilot encountered difficulties. On the fifth attempt to land, the airplane overshot, impacted trees and crashed, bursting into flames. Three crew members were killed and two others were injured. One of the survivors died the next day from injuries sustained.
Crew:
P/O Cecil Frank Ferris, pilot, †
Sgt Robert Curragh Bell, copilot, †
Sgt Noel Thomas Gander, observer, †
Sgt John Ivor Evans Davies, wireless operator, †
Sgt Maurice Arthur Hentall, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9214

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2319

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1808LT on an operation to Cologne. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Derrick Ash,
Sgt Peter Windermere Bland,
P/O Dennis Richard Hockaday,
Sgt Alexander MacLeod,
Sgt Hugh Davison McColl.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Leeming: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1942 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

Z6975

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

2257

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1816LT on an operation to Boulogne. While returning to base in the late evening, it stalled on final approach and crashed onto a house. Four crew members were killed while the wireless operator was seriously injured. He later died from injuries sustained. There were no casualties on the ground.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Lyndon Moore, pilot,
Sgt James Ernest Church, copilot,
Sgt Kenneth Clarence Edward Corke, observer,
F/Sgt Richard James Lewis, wireless operator,
Sgt Neil Shaw Smith, air gunner.

Probable cause:

It is believed that icing conditions acting on the airframe may have given wrong airspeed readings and the pilot was unaware that the airplane was about to stall. Ice formations on the windscreen were also to blame which limited the pilot's visibility.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9312

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: