Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 2000LT on Operation Irridium (Secret Intelligence Service), heading for Czechoslovakia. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Dürnbach, south of Munich, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt Alfred Ellis Prior, pilot,
F/O Alfred John Kingham, pilot,
Sgt Felix James Mowles, flight engineer,
F/O Richard Winter Taylor, navigator,
P/O George McWilliam, wireless operator,
Sgt Francis Douglas Bell, air gunner,
Sgt John Henry Kempton, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Fawley: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V

Operator:

Registration:

DG283

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Tempsford - Tempsford

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 1957LT on Operation Director 34 (Special Operations Executive) heading for France. It suffered an engine failure and crashed in Fawley, bursting into flames. Two crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
F/O G. A. Osborn, pilot,
Sgt Stevens,
F/O D. Thornton,
Sgt R. Poltock,
Sgt Hugh Shearer, wireless operator, †
Sgt Barrie Lincoln Crane, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V near RAF Cranwell: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1943 at 1230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V

Operator:

Registration:

DK117

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Swinderby - Swinderby

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed RAF Swinderby at 1150LT on a training exercise. While completing a 3-engine practice at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the pilot elected to unfeather the port outer propeller when he lost control of the airplane that crashed in a pasture located east of RAF Cranwell, bursting into flames. Five crew members were injured, one escaped unhurt and the wireless operator was killed.
Crew:
Sgt W. J. King,
Sgt K. L. Howard,
Sgt C. E. Towill,
P/O Bowden,
Sgt R. Stevens, †
Sgt N. Jackson,
Sgt S. J. Proctor.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Distré: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943 at 2330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V

Operator:

Registration:

DK123

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Netheravon - Netheravon

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Netheravon at 2123LT to attack an electric station in Distré. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed one km south of the village. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O David Herbert Upsher, pilot,
F/O Malcolm Cedric Hayes, pilot,
F/Sgt Keith Reynold Marshall, wireless operator,
Sgt Walter Mather, navigator,
S/L Campbell Crichton-Miller, meteorologist and weather officer,
F/Lt Michael Edward Jackson Croker, air gunner,
F/Sgt Thomas William Holland, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V at RAF Tangmere

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1943 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V

Operator:

Registration:

DG271

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll at RAF Tangmere, the airplane swung out of control and slid to a stop with its undercarriage broken. There were no casualties among the crew who was on a transit flight.
Crew:
F/O R. C. Hogg, pilot +4.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Guichen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1943 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V

Operator:

Registration:

DG285

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tempsford - Tempsford

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Tempsford on a Special Operation Executive, Operation Ker/Crab. After passing Rennes, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Guichen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Harry Sanford Readhead, pilot,
P/O Ronald Gray, copilot,
Sgt Stewart McKenzie Anderson, flight engineer,
P/O William Wallace Roy, navigator,
F/Sgt William Wilson, wireless operator,
Sgt Leslie Percy Manning, air gunner,
F/Sgt Hedley Geoffrey Martins, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Birkby: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1942 at 1530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V

Operator:

Registration:

DG238

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed RAF Leeming on a fighter affiliation exercise. In flight, the pilot initiated a steep turn when the airplane stalled and crashed in Birkby. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Ronald George Bell, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Ernest Fuce Giles, flight engineer,
Sgt Douglas Dean Gardner, navigator,
sgt Ian Fowler Stewart McColl, wireless operator,
P/O Philip Malcolm Matthews, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Pilot error.