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Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE348
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Skipton-on-Swale - Skipton-on-Swale
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skipton-on-Swale on an operation to Brest. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Reid Bourne,
Sgt James William Neal,
P/O Steven Noble,
Sgt Donald Ruston,
P/O Mitchell Smith.

Crash of a Vickers 455 Wellington XII into The Channel: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 455 Wellington XII
Operator:
Registration:
MP542
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chivenor - Chivenor
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chivenor on a maritime patrol mission. It crashed in unknown circumstances into The Channel off the French coast. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Hamish Gordon Collins, pilot,
P/O Robert Grant Fowlie,
W/O George Evelyn Greenwood, wireless operator,
W/O Philip Stanley Grindley,
W/O Joseph Charles Harrison,
F/Sgt Arthur Clarke McNabb.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BK489
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Lichfield - Lichfield
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lichfield on a Operation Nickel to Paris. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Wilson Astle, pilot,
Sgt Charles Arthur Warnes,
Sgt Charles Frederick Wells,
Sgt William Antcliffe,
Sgt Allen Drury, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V into The Channel: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1943 at 1925 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V
Operator:
Registration:
DG408
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Rufforth - Rufforth
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Rufforth at 1520LT on a conversion flight. It is believed that the crew got lost or made a navigation error as the airplane drifted over The Channel. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Eric Ford Williamson, pilot,
Sgt Clive Richard Leonard Thornton, flight engineer,
Sgt Dennis Charles Butlin, navigator,
Sgt Wilfred John Pelham, navigator,
Sgt Allan John Dunn, wireless operator,
Sgt Dennis William Suffling, bomb aimer,
Sgt Henry Hinett, air gunner,
Sgt John Hunter, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into The Channel

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1943 at 0050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE414
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
East Moor - East Moor
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Moor at 2120LT on April 20 to lay mines off the French coast. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into The Channel. All five crew members were rescued.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Campbell Ellison, pilot,
Sgt W. G. Bailey,
Sgt Horace Edwin John Horton,
Sgt Edward Clowes Nicholson,
Sgt Walter Joseph Mullaney, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 into The Channel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.217
Operator:
Registration:
U5+BT
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Deelen - Deelen
MSN:
5547
YOM:
1942
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While engaged in an operation to England, the airplane was probably shot down by a British fighter and crashed into The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Obfw Heinz Ahrens, pilot,
Uffz Rudolf Siegmund, observer,
Uffz Heinrich Knapp, radio operator,
Fw Alfons Kurze, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into The Channel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
BD494
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Netheravon - Netheravon
MSN:
2678
YOM:
1942
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Netheravon at 1858LT to drop leaflets over Châteauroux. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt William Ronald Erasmus, pilot,
Sgt Sidney Albert George Wraight, observer,
Sgt Jack Heaton Beebe, radio operator,
F/Sgt Edward Froggatt, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BK367
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Ingham - Ingham
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Ingham at 1810LT on an operation to Lorient. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt George Moses, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Stevens Guy,
W/O Leonard James Sweitzer,
Sgt Derek Wilfrid Turner,
Sgt Howard Jack Read, air gunner.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston into The Channel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1943 at 1434 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
AL278
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Swanton Morley - Swanton Morley
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Swanton Morley at 1207LT to attack a viaduct in Morlaix. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into The Channel. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Clifford Stanley Thomas, pilot,
F/O Richard Laurence Bowyer,
Sgt Robert Morton,
Sgt George Currah, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
DF615
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1626LT on an operation to Lorient. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Eugene Joseph Stanton, pilot,
P/O Frank Noon,
F/O Walter Douglas Marks,
Sgt Wilfred George Goode,
F/Sgt Joseph Claude Desrosiers, air gunner.
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