Croft AFB

Shortly after takeoff from Croft AFB, in initial climb, the aircraft collided with a flock of birds that hit the windshield. Both pilots were injured and attempted to make an emergency landing. They reduced their altitude and landed in an open field. Aircraft skidded few hundred yards before coming to rest. All crew were rescued and evacuated while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Crew was from 434th Squadron.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1950LT 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:
F/Sgt Donald Franklin McFadden, pilot,
F/Sgt William McManus Bisset,
Sgt Charles Arthur Boyd,
Sgt Arthur Reginald Dove,
F/O Lawrence Thomas Edwin Sweet, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1553LT on a training exercise. It crashed almost immediately after takeoff due to a sudden loss of engine power. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
Sgt W. H. Schmitt, pilot +4.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1802LT to lay mines in the Nectarines area. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea, maybe off the Frisian Islands. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt L. McC. Lymburner, pilot,
Sgt H. R. Millson,
Sgt H. S. McPherson,
Sgt R. Clark,
Sgt William Bruce Drake,
Sgt T. A. Dutton, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1810LT on February 28 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it strayed west of track and following several radio transmissions, the crew abandoned the airplane that crashed in a ploughed field near Ballybane. All six crew members parachuted to safety and were interned.
Crew:
Sgt L. G. Southwood, pilot,
Sgt M. B. Summers,
F/Sgt J. C. Grover,
F/Sgt A. W. Puffer,
Sgt J. H. Blue,
Sgt W. W. N. Chalk, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1810LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Belle-Île-en-Mer. Five crew members were killed while the radio operator survived and became a PoW.
Crew:
W/O William Douglas Hartney, pilot, †
F/Sgt James Augustus Kilpatrick, observer, †
Sgt Reginald William Radford, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Edward Allison, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Langmeael Ward, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Donald Alexander Ferguson, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1849LT on an operation to Cologne. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Sint-Oederode, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt William Edward Harwood, pilot,
P/O Oliver Henry Skelton, navigator,
Sgt Harold Jack Steel, observer,
F/Sgt Theo Curtis Smith, wireless operator,
Sgt Vivian Max Caplin, wireless operator,
Sgt Charles Francis Leach, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1848LT on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base, it crashed near RAF Woolfox Lodge and was destroyed. Six crew members were killed and one was injured.
Crew:
Sgt George Rolling Taylor, pilot, †
F/Sgt Keith Lauchlan Campbell, †
Sgt John Emil Partos, †
Sgt Arthur Marlow, †
Sgt K. C. Smith,
Sgt Richard Hubert Lewis, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1827LT on February 16 an operation to Lorient. Over the target area, it was hit by the German Flak which destroyed all navigational aids. The crew was able to leave the combat area and crash landed the airplane at 0110LT in Kilbarry, in the south suburb of Waterford, Ireland. All five crew members were interned.
Crew:
Sgt J. E. Holloway, pilot,
Sgt D. E. M. Ross,
Sgt D. H. Taylor,
Sgt G. C. Slater,
Sgt F. Thomas, air gunner.

The crew of this Wellington named 'A for Apple' took off from RAF Croft at 1726LT for what is believed to have been a mine laying operational flight. Aircraft from various squadrons were mine laying the waters around The Frisians and Helgoland on this night. Other modern accounts quote Le Havre as being a land target for bombs but this is believed to not be correct. The accident record card for this incident; the Form Am1180, makes no mention of what the target was hence the confusion. The crew dropped their cargo and headed for home but were hit by the German Flak. Before they could land at base the aircraft flew across the North Yorkshire Moors, the Moors were covered in a thick band of cloud at the time and the crew became uncertain of their position on their return to Yorkshire; they had probably flown off course by a few degrees. They descended to try and work out their location but struck high ground east of Chop Gate on Black Intake Moor at 2300LT and all on the aircraft lost their lives in the crash which completely destroyed the aircraft.
Crew (427th Squadron):
Sgt Oscar Philip Edwin Ronald J. Adlam, pilot,
F/O Bryan Dunn, navigator,
Sgt William Charles Ivor Jelley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arnold Charles Clifford, bombardier,
Sgt William Ball, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/43/bj778.html