Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I into Lake Mikri Prespa: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941 at 1608 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L8449
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Paramythia - Paramythia
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into Lake Mikri Prespa, south of Lake Prespa. The pilot was injured and became PoW while both other occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt A. C. Godfrey, pilot,
Sgt James Benjamin Thomas O'Neill, observer, †
F/Sgt Jack Wainhouse, wireless operator. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I into Lake Prespa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941 at 1607 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1434
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paramythia - Paramythia
MSN:
8717
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into Lake Prespa. All three crew members were killed. Debris were recovered in 1993 and transferred to the Tatoi Museum near Athens.
Crew:
S/L Leslie Edward Cryer,
F/Lt Lindsay Basil Buchanan,
Sgt George Pattison.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Borkum: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L9247
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Oulton - Oulton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oulton on an anti-shipping mission. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Borkum. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Matthew Anderton, pilot,
F/O Ronald Frederick Tapp, observer,
F/Sgt Ronald Godfrey St. James-Smith, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Vigla: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L8478
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While flying in foggy conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Vigla. The wreckage was found the next day 50 feet below the summit. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Antony Thornburn Irvine, pilot,
P/O Gerald Davies, observer,
P/O Arthur Charles Geary, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Bitola: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L4819
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paramythia - Paramythia
MSN:
8834
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed near Bitola (Bitolj). All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Richard Vivian Herbert, pilot,
W/Cdr Patric Bernard Coote, observer,
F/Sgt William Neilson Young, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I near Florina: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1539
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Paramythia - Florina
MSN:
8822
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The bomber crashed in unknown circumstances in the region of Florina, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
F/Sgt A. G. James, pilot,
Sgt Andrew Bryce, observer,
Sgt Arthur James Waring, wireless operator.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Westkapelle: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R3905
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham on an anti-shipping mission. While approaching the Dutch coast at low level, it was shot down by ship's Flak and crashed into the sea one km off Westkapelle. Two crew members were killed and a third became PoW.
Crew:
S/L D. B. Gericke, pilot,
Sgt Denis Charles Staples, †
F/Sgt Edward Watt Rae. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Westerland: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1941 at 1420 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T1829
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Oulton - Oulton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oulton on an anti-shipping operation. Approaching the island of Westerland, it was shot down by ground fire then by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Harold Peter Griffith Jones, pilot,
F/Sgt Kennedy Charles Walton, observer,
Sgt John Frederick Horsham, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF near Athens: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K7095
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
8048
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Engaged in an aerial combat at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the airplane was shot down by the pilot of a JU.88 and crashed northwest of Athens, bursting into flames. A crew was killed and a second was injured.
Crew:
S/L R. A. Milward, pilot,
Sgt John Crooks, wireless operator. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near RAF Bourn: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1941 at 2359 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
V5732
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Upwood on a night training exercise. The pilot got lost and as the airplane ran out of fuel, he attempted an emergency landing when it crash landed in a field located near RAF Bourn. All three crew members were injured. The pilot died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Sgt J. R. Perkins, †
Sgt A. J. Reid,
Sgt J. Gibbons.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.