Burn AFB | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

On final approach to the RAF Burn, the bomber aircraft was too low. While overflying the city of Selby, the aircraft hit the top of the St James Church and crashed in flames in a residential area along the Portholme Drive. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire and several houses were destroyed as well. All seven crew members were killed and eight people on ground as well.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Barnby Dun

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1943 at 0515 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE476

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Burn - Burn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 0035LT on an operation to Duisburg. The following morning, while returning to base, it crashed landed in a field located in Barnby Dun, northeast of Doncaster. All five crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Sgt J. Reynoldson, pilot,
Sgt L. R. Cudmore,
Sgt G. J. Crebbin,
Sgt G. C. Storey,
Sgt L. C. Main, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Hochspeyer: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0108 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE379

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Burn - Burn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 2110LT on April 16 on an operation to Mannheim. Over Kaiserslautern, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Hochspeyer. The air gunner was killed and four other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Harry Sutterby, pilot,
P/O William Edgar Paton, navigator,
Sgt Ralph Gustav Rudd,
Sgt Peter Francis Cartwright, wireless operator,
Sgt Maurice Richard Hadland, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Birmenstorf

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0043 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE374

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Bourn - Bourn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 2108LT on April 14 on an operation to Stuttgart. Over the target area, it was badly shot about by the German Flak. The crew was able to leave the area and to continue to Switzerland where the airplane was abandoned and crashed in a field located in Birmenstorf, 23 km northwest of Zurich. All five crew members parachuted to safety, one was slightly injured.
Crew:
Sgt James V. Avery, pilot,
Sgt Willliam H. Shields, navigator,
Sgt Wilfred Boddy, bomb aimer,
Sgt Joseph C. Cash, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald A. McEwan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Mutterschied: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0020 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HZ357

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Burn - Burn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 2105LT on April 10 on an operation to Stuttgart. Shortly after midnight, while returning to base at an altitude of 17,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Muttenschied. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Lawrence Denby, pilot, †
P/O Alexander John McDonald, navigator,
Sgt William Alexander Wilson Hunter, bomb aimer, †
Sgt James Green Adam, wireless operator, †
Sgt James Joseph O'Hagan, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X off Jersey: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE213

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Burn - Burn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 2315LT on April 10 on an operation to Frankfurt. While returning to base the following night, the crew called for help and later ditched the airplane some 5 km southwest of Jersey Island. Three crew members were rescued and became PoW while two others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Walter Edwin Bidmead, pilot,
Sgt Abraham Holden, observer, †
Sgt Edward Arnold Odling, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard Charles Bolke, air gunner,
F/Sgt George Arnold Booth, air gunner. †

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X near Ahaus: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2252 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE182

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Burn - Burn

Location:

Ahaus

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 1950LT on an operation to Bochum. After passing the Dutch/German border, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed 5 km southwest of Ahaus. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Ernest Joseph Aspden, pilot, †
Sgt David Trevor Dudley-Jones, navigator,
Sgt John Henry Kimber, bomb aimer, †
W/O Philip Frank Yellin, wireless operator, †
Sgt Roderick Davies, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into the Kattegat: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1943 at 2104 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE503

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Burn - Burn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 1855LT on an operation to Duisburg. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the Kattegat and was lost. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt George Hadley Eades, pilot,
F/Lt Allen Myrick Hill, flight engineer,
F/Lt Norman Joseph Gardner, bomb aimer,
W/O Benjamin Victor Lloyd Ducker, wireless operator,
W/O Joseph Michael Rogal, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Esens

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1943 at 2030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 440 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

HE202

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Burn - Burn

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The airplane departed RAF Burn at 1813LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. It was shot down by a German fighter and crash landed in an open field located in Esens. All five occupants survived and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Derek Cecil Pitts, pilot,
Sgt Robert McHugh,
Sgt Basil Gunn Peart,
P/O Kenneth David Tutton,
Sgt Dewielwyn Hubert Dyer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near RAF Burn: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1943 at 1120 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W1185

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Burn - Burn

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The crew was engaged in a local test flight at RAF Burn. For unknown reasons, the airplane crashed into a platelayer's hut located between Henwick Hall and Temple Hirst, east of the secondary runway. Of the four workmen inside the hut, one was killed and the rest injured. All six crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
F/Sgt W. A. C. Whitworth, pilot,
Sgt A. S. S. Corrs,
P/O G. Bond,
P/O L. G. McCoy,
Sgt R. W. Featherstone,
Sgt J. E. Pyall, air gunner.

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