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

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1943 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
DS666
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 2354LT on June 25 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Den Helder, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Ronald Frederick Rashley, pilot,
Sgt Frank Lynford Beeston, flight engineer,
Sgt Clyde Maxwell Sibbald, navigator,
Sgt Alexander Corns, wireless operator,
F/O Gideon Davidson, bomb aimer,
Sgt Ernest Green, air gunner,
Sgt Albert Worsdale,air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1943 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
EE125
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2240LT on June 25 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Den Helder, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
S/L Alfred Markham Young, pilot,
Sgt John Reginald Hayle, flight engineer,
P/O Peter Edward Bevis, navigator,
F/Sgt Albert William Dickison, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Charles Lucas Mallett, wireless operator,
Sgt George Henry Peel, air gunner,
F/O James Bell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1943 at 0232 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
BB361
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Graveley - Graveley
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Graveley at 2347LT on June 21 on an operation to Krefeld. Cruising off the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 25 km west of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O James Wesley Andrews, pilot,
Sgt Robert Matthew Scott, flight engineer,
Sgt David John Jones, navigator,
Sgt Frederick Vernon Barnard, bomb aimer,
Sgt Reginald Arthur Muldoon, wireless operator,
W/O Neil Thomas MacAulay, air gunner,
Sgt William Downie Robertson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1943 at 0304 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF571
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2336LT on June 11 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea 25 km southwest of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Reginald Ellithorne Allen, pilot,
Sgt Sidney Wright, flight engineer,
Sgt Aston Crawford Lake, navigator,
Sgt Henry Charles Relph, bomb aimer,
Sgt Wilfred Stanley Champ, wireless operator,
Sgt Leon Wilfred Joseph Dawson, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas Kirk Fowler, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X off Den Helder: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1943 at 0305 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE235
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kirmington - Kirmington
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Kirmington in the evening of May 25 on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea 30 km west of Den Helder, killing all five crew members.
Crew:
Sgt Roy Batterbee, pilot,
Sgt Jack Thomas Francis,
Sgt Alfred Joseph Railton,
W/O Edward Alan Sproule,
Sgt Kenneth Mackintosh, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 26, 1943 at 0248 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK659
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chedburgh - Chedburgh
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chedburgh at 0004LT on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea, some 25 km northwest off Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Robert Albert Kerr, pilot,
Sgt Frank Henry Edward Pooley, flight engineer,
Sgt Brian McMahon Jubb, navigator,
F/O Ronald Paisley, bomb aimer,
Sgt Ronald Sydney Blake, wireless operator,
Sgt Denys Littlewood, air gunner,
Sgt Gwynn Towyn Davies, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 24, 1943 at 0053 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF478
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chedburgh - Chedburgh
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chedburgh at 2306LT on May 23 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea 7,5 km west of Den Helder, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O John Wesley Evans, pilot,
Sgt Victor Norman Walker, flight engineer,
Sgt Zanwel Goldfinger, navigator,
Sgt Roy Craven Child, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Harold Ward, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Victor Street, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest Douglas Ager, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

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

Date & Time: May 14, 1943 at 0359 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4110
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 2138LT on May 13 on an operation to Plzeň. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 20 km west of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O William Douglas Rail, pilot,
Sgt Alfred Theodore Cuthbert Bromwich, flight engineer,
Sgt Norman Kenneth Underwood, navigator,
Sgt Wilfred Charles Digby, bomb aimer,
Sgt Robert Cecil Boardman, wireless operator,
Sgt Richard Samuel Augustus Walker, air gunner,
Sgt George Batty, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 2227 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB836
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
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
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5060
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chelvestson - Chelveston
MSN:
3599
YOM:
1942
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
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.
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