Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 1636LT on a bombing mission over Berlin. Claimed by Oblt Wilhelm Johnen 5/NJG5 - NNW Berlin at 1936LT. Also claimed by 3rd battery of the Railway Flak Department 416. Crashed in a forest near Liebenberg, between Grüneberg and Liebenberg, southeast of Löwenberg. All seven occupants were killed.

Crew was performing a training exercise from RAF Topcliffe. In unknown circumstances, aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and was destroyed by impact forces. All six occupants were killed.
Crew (all Canadians citizens):
F/O Joseph P. Lavallee, pilot,
Sgt. Richard G. Kimball, navigator,
F/O Wilfred L. Boisvert, flight engineer,
F/O Walter Phillips, bomb aimer,
W/O George E. Giff, W/Operator,
Sgt. Guy H. Hivon, gunner.

The crew left RAF Tempsford on the evening of November 3, bound for south of France to proceed on a support dropping mission to the French Resistance. While cruising by night, the aircraft hit the Rocher de Bourboulas at a height of 1,170 meters and crashed near the Quatre Vios Pass, Ardèche. A loud bang was heard by locals who arrived quickly on the scene and rescued a crew member who was slightly injured while all seven other occupants were killed.
Crew:
P/O H. F. Hodges, †
Sgt H. T. Penfold, †
F/S H. Smith, †
P/O R. K. Pulling, †
Sgt J. Barthélemy, †
F/S R. L. Nott, †
Cpt J. A. Estes, †
Sgt J. F. Borough.

The crew, stationed at Snaith in Yorkshire were taking part in a raid against the German city of Frankfurt. The outward leg proceeded normally until shortly after they had released their bomb load over the target area. The aircraft was illuminated by a searchlight and engaged by flak and a night fighter sustaining hits to the port inner engine setting it alight and the No.2 fuel tank. The pilot took evasive action by corkscrewing the aircraft from 19,000 feet to 9,000 feet successfully evading further contact. As well as the fuel loss from the damage to one of the tanks, the loss of the port inner engine meant that some functions were also lost. Most could be carried out entirely manually but the engines generator provided power to the aircraft's batteries that powered the mid-upper turret, beam approach radio equipment and the R1154 / T1155 radio. These would work only as long as the charge remained in the batteries. The aircraft passed its turning points as far as Reading, shortly after the radio failed as the batteries had been drained. The weather at this point had deteriorated with low cloud and rain, effectively removing any chance of seeing landmarks such as rivers which would aid in locating Snaith, or another airfield. Eventually the pilot began to descend through the cloud to be able to find landmarks but while still in cloud, and virtually out of fuel, the aircraft flew into the ground on Blackden Edge. The aircraft broke up over a fairly wide area, most of the crew who died were killed in the crash but the Sergeant Lane survived the crash but was severely injured and died before help, summoned by Sgt Mack, arrived the following day.
Crew (51st Squadron):
Sgt Ernest Hatfield Fenning, pilot, †
W/O Jean Gilbert Felix Fortin, navigator, †
Sgt Eric George Lane, flight engineer, †
Sgt Victor Garland, bomb aimer,
Sgt Frank Allan Squibbs, wireless operator, †
Sgt Boris Karl Short, air gunner, †
Sgt James B. Mack, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistricthr727.htm

The crew left RAF Lissett, East Yorkshire, on a bombing mission to Italy. While overflying the east part of France by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located 14 km east of Vienna. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew (158th Squadron):
Sgt E. Le Huray,
Sgt H. Pennell,
Sgt F. G. Shaw,
Sgt T. A. Roberts,
Sgt C. A. Budd,
Sgt A. V. M. Barron,
Sgt V. G. E. Briant.

The crew left RAF Tempsford in the evening of August 14 on a supply mission to the French Resistance at the Fretallaz Pass located 10 km north of Annecy. While approaching the target, an engine caught fire (maybe the number three) and the captain attempted to make an emergency landing when he lost control of the aircraft that crashed in flames on two houses located in Pont de Tasset, near Meythet. The squadron leader was the only survivor as all six other crew members were killed plus five people on the ground, among them two children.
Crew (138th Squadron):
S/L Franck Griffiths, pilot,
Lt Roderick Mackenzie, copilot, †
Lt Sydney Congdon, navigator, †
P/O Robert Peters, signaler, †
F/Sgt Franck Pollard, air gunner, †
Sgt Frederick Davies, flight engineer, †
Sgt John Maden, dispatcher. †
Civilians killed:
Della Vedora Erminia,
Della Vedora Serge,
Della Vedora Olivier,
Krattinger Pierre,
Maritand Ernest.

En route, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. Six crew members were able to bail out while two others were killed when the aircraft crashed in a field.
Crew killed were Sgt W. Brown and F/O H. Krohn.

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over Duisburg and left RAF Graveley at 0023LT. While overflying The Netherlands by night at an altitude of 3,300 metres, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. The captain attempted to make an emergency landing in a field but on touchdown, the aircraft caught fire and came to rest upside down. Two crew members were killed while all others were injured.
Crew (35th Squadron):
F/Lt Douglas Julian Sale,
P/O R. C. Sawyer,
P/O G. E. Heard,
Sgt S. A. Moores,
Sgt D. N. Richards,
Sgt R. O. Elford,
Sgt C. W. Rowley.

While approaching the Dutch coast, the bomber went out of control and crashed into the sea. All seven crew were killed.
Crew (51st Squadron):
F/Sgt R. E. Dorman,
Sgt A. R. Harding,
P/O A. L. Holmes,
Sgt P. J. McAleese,
Sgt J. G. Ramshaw,
Sgt G. Tombe,
P/O J. E. Ulrich.

The crew had taken off from their base at Snaith near Selby to drop two mines (an A.108 and B.200 type) into the sea in the 'Nectarines' area of the North Sea, this was around the Frisian Islands. The crew had been briefed to fly from base to the Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast before setting course direct for the Frisian Is. and then returning via the same route. On returning they over-shot their base and continued westwards. The aircraft eventually struck a drystone wall on the edge of Hoar Side Moor and slid to a halt where it burned out.
Crew (51st Squadron):
P/O Richard Donovan Getliffe, pilot,
P/O Edward Burt Chatfield, pilot,
Sgt Alexander Campbell, flight engineer,
Sgt Allan Campbell, air bomber, †
Sgt George Hugh Whyte, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt John James Merritt, air gunner,
Sgt Reginald Ernest Smart, air gunner.
Source and photo:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/pennines/penninesdt581.htm