Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BJ979

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

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Schedule:

Upper Heyford - Upper Heyford

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The airplane departed RAF Upper Heyford on an Air Sea Rescue operation over the North Sea. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into the sea off Wick. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Joseph John Britton, pilot,
P/O James Frederick King,
Sgt Harold Mottershead,
Sgt Edward George Ufton,
F/Sgt John Thomas Houghton, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Cromer: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3699

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2030LT on April 4 on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was badly shot about by a German fighter. While returning to base the following night, following hydraulic problems, the crew ditched the airplane into the sea some 16 km off Cromer. Three crew members were killed and two others were rescued. The airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/O Donald Lloyd Kennedy, pilot, †
F/O Keith Minshull Walley, navigator, †
Sgt Leslie Lester Anderson, bomb aimer,
P/O Dallas Laskey, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Charles Norman Beaton, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Badly shot about by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in South Kilvington

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1943 at 1530 LT

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Registration:

Z1670

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While on an air test, the airplane clipped a line of high tension cables and crashed at Borad Farm, South Kilvington. All seven crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt D. M. Smith, pilot,
F/Sgt D. R. Nelson,
F/Sgt W. J. Nicholl,
Sgt R. T. Crimmins,
Cpl H. Butler,
Cpl T. C. Lane,
Cpl J. L. Maddox, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Zandvoort: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943 at 0020 LT

Type of aircraft:

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Registration:

X3965

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Kirmington - Kirmington

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The airplane departed RAF Kirmington at 1943LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. The following night, while returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 20 km off Zandvoort. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Owen Eastwood Collins, pilot,
F/O Leslie Young, navigator,
Sgt John Gordon Hubbard, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Jack Bernard Bayliss, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Stanley Noel Curtis, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Metzkausen: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3814

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George

Location:

Metzkausen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1933LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Metzkausen, 13 northeast of Düsseldorf. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Roy Leonard Brandow, pilot,
Sgt Cecil William Cockaday, navigator,
F/Sgt Howard Cephus Sleep, navigator,
Sgt Leonard Gordon Jones, wireless operator,
F/Sgt James Miller Greer, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at Barton Bendish RLG: 9 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943

Type of aircraft:

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Registration:

Z1747

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

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Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The crew departed RAF Marham on a training exercise. While maneuvering over Barton Bendish RLG, the airplane suffered a structural failure, disintegrated in the air and crashed. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Douglas Ronald Greenup, pilot,
Ac1 Ronald James Chitty, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Benjamin Campbell Harvey, air gunner,
Sgt Maurice Richard Langdale-Hunt, air gunner,
Sgt Arthur L. Laycock, air gunner,
Sgt Walter Harvey Lowey, air gunner,
Sgt Joseph Macneall, air gunner,
F/O Bruce Neal, air gunner,
F/Sgt Kenneth Mitchell Newland, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Structural failure in flight after lower rear bolts in the starboard wing failed.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BK540

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

East Moor - East Moor

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The airplane departed RAF East Moor at 1945LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Harry Dennis Gordon Carty, pilot,
W/O David Lachlan Bain, navigator,
F/Sgt Eric Kelvin Hart, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Eccles Scott, air gunner,
Sgt William Frederick Whiteland, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Nijemirdum: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2346 LT

Type of aircraft:

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Registration:

BJ762

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1931LT on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Nijemirdum. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Richard Earl Todd, pilot, †
Sgt Harvey Martin, pilot,
Sgt John Franklin Gubb, bomb aimer, †
Sgt James Taylor, wireless operator,
Sgt John Arthur Bailey, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Bochum: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2249 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BJ920

Flight Phase:

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