Den Helder

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Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1923LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 20 km southwest of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Anthony Drew Ashby Barnes, pilot,
Sgt James Stephen Lowdell, flight engineer,
Sgt Arthur Leonard Thurlow, navigator,
Sgt Gerald Cecil Felsenstein, bomb aimer,
F/O Edwin Harold Beeton, wireless operator,
Sgt Victor Norman Elkins, air gunner,
Sgt William Patrick Quinlivan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-30-BO Flying Fortress off Den Helder: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1943

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Registration:

42-5060

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Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Schedule:

Chelvestson - Chelveston

MSN:

3599

YOM:

1942

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The airplane departed RAF Chelveston on an operation to Hamm. Cloud cover over the target area prevented bombing of the primary target at Hamm and the formation diverted to the industrial area of Emden, Germany. While cruising over the Netherlands, the airplane collided with a Fw.190 which had been shot down and sliced through the right wing of the bomber that entered a spin and crashed into the Waddenzee off Den Helder. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt William K. Davidson, pilot,
Lt Charles W. McMehen, copilot,
2nd Lt John H. Kinsey Jr., navigator,
2nd Lt James W. Bryant, bombardier,
S/Sgt Kermit R. Plaskett, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Jack C. Hickman, radio operator,
S/Sgt Robert L. McKnight, air gunner,
S/Sgt Charles Peterson, air gunner,
S/Sgt Le Roy J. Moyer, air gunner,
S/Sgt Paul E. Heatherly, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Den Helder: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1943 at 0030 LT

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Registration:

W7918

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1810LT on January 27 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Shortly after midnight, while returning to base, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Waddenzee east of Den Helder. Three crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Bruce Keith Lindsay, pilot, †
Sgt William Alan Bennett, flight engineer, †
F/Lt Gerald James O’Hanley, navigator, †
F/O James Malcolm Colquhoun, bomb aimer,
Sgt Alan Frederick Turner, wireless operator,
Sgt Reid Thompson, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Den Helder: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1943 at 0028 LT

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Registration:

X9667

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Survivors:

Yes

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Moreton-in-Marsh - Moreton-in-Marsh

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The airplane departed RAF Moreton-in-Marsh at 1830LT on January 26 on a special operation. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Waddenzee some 5 km east of Den Helder. Six crew members were killed and one was rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Gordon George Ellis, pilot, †
Sgt Eric Hector Tucker, navigator, †
P/O Dilwyn Llewelyn, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Ronald Edward Elvin, wireless operator, †
F/O Frank Howard Mitchell, †
Sgt Norman George Smith, †
W/O J. N. Morgan.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1943 at 1952 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

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Registration:

W4340

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Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds

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The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1735LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 40 km north of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Edgar Heaton Burgess, pilot,
F/Lt Torkel Torkelsson Lundberg, flight engineer,
F/Sgt John Stewart Hill, navigator,
F/Sgt Kenneth George Curtis, bomb aimer,
Sgt George Henry Anderson, wireless operator,
Sgt Sidney Edward Perry, air gunner,
Sgt Douglas Paterson Kerr, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942 at 1915 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

BF403

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Downham Market - Downham Market

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The airplane departed RAF Downham Market at 1802LT on an operation to Fallersleben. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Marsdiep off Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leonard Clarence Shepherd, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Martin Taylor, flight engineer,
Sgt Stanley Holmes, navigator,
Sgt Alan John Claude Lavers, bomb aimer,
W/O Joseph Noel Charles Hornidge, wireless operator,
Sgt Alan Frank Copplestone, air gunner,
Sgt Glyn Price, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura I off Den Helder: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1942 at 1448 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed PV-1 Ventura

Operator:

Registration:

AE784

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Schedule:

Methwold - Methwold

MSN:

4127

YOM:

1942

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The airplane departed RAF Methwold at 1355LT on an operation to Den Helder. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea of Wadden, 5 km east off Den Helder. The air gunner was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt John Edgar Harrison, pilot,
P/O Howard John Luck, observer,
F/Lt Colin Ward Dawson Hunt, wireless operator,
Sgt William Joseph Atkinson, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV near Den Helder: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1942 at 2247 LT

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Registration:

Z1255

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Hemswell - Hemswell

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The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2029LT on a mine laying operation. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Den Helder. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Stanisław Bielec, pilot, †
F/O Jan Stapor, †
Sgt S. Szczepanski, †
Sgt Stanisław Sapeta, †
Sgt Stanisław Chudy, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Den Helder: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942 at 0140 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

R9160

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