Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Driffield

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE143
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Location:
Driffield AFB
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on September 29 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base, it ran out of fuel and crash landed in the garden of a house at Sunnyside while trying to land at RAF Driffield. All four crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt McDermott,
Sgt Boucher,
Sgt H. Smith,
Sgt Elliott.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Exeter: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1941 at 1645 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5432
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Exeter
Devonshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield on a test flight. En route, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and decided to divert to Exeter Airport where the bomber crashed on approach. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leslie Mellor Rhodes, pilot,
P/O John Ross Robertson, pilot,
Sgt Matthew Ward Wright, observer,
Sgt Bernard Kenneth George Willmer, wireless operator,
Sgt Gordon Bannerman Dundas, wireless operator,
Sgt Victor Ernest Thomas Riddiford, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5362
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
North Sea
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 Driffield at 2034LT on September 7 on an operation to Berlin. Lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the North Sea.
Crew:
Sgt William Hamilton Anderson,
Sgt Frank George Barrett,
F/Sgt Albert Douglas Foch Craig,
Sgt Russell Johnston Mountier,
Sgt Frank Richardson,
Sgt Bernard Walter Robbens.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Boroughbridge

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1941 at 2225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5435
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Boroughbridge
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield on an operation to Frankfurt. In the evening, it crashed at Thewhitts Farm near Boroughbridge, while trying to land in poor visibility. All six crew members were injured.
Crew:
P/O R. A. C. Doherty,
P/O P. Dawson,
Sgt J. Williams,
Sgt G. Williams,
Sgt K. Boyce,
Sgt W. Hegan.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Strümp: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5595
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Strümp
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 2340LT on August 28 on an operation to Duisburg. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Strümp, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt George Herbert Spickett, pilot,
Sgt Archibald Grant Geddes, pilot,
Sgt Herbert Arnold French, observer,
Sgt Dennis Claude Hayward, air gunner,
Sgt Edward Stanley Jones, wireless operator,
Sgt Joseph Arthur Donis Rheaume, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Driffield

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1941 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5477
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Martlesham Heath - Driffield
Location:
Driffield AFB
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a transit flight from RAF Martlesham Heath to RAF Driffield. It crashed upon landing and was destroyed. All six crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt F. R. Richardson,
P/O Murdoch,
Sgt R. J. Mountier,
Sgt Scott,
Sgt B. W. Robbens,
Sgt A. D. F. Craig.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1941 at 0318 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5416
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
North Sea
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 Driffield at 2240LT on August 19 on an operation to Kiel. Last heard on w/t at 0318LT while trying to raise RAF Bircham Newton. Presumed lost over the North Sea.
Crew:
F/Lt William Westbrooke Burton,
Sgt James Haney, observer,
Sgt Harry Ellse Johnson,
F/Sgt Douglas Crosbie Marshall,
P/O Jack Goode Rogers,
Sgt Keith Moore Woodhead.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in South Leverton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1941 at 0002 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5532
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
South Leverton
Nottinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 2327LT on August 16 on an operation to Cologne. Shortly past midnight, it was shot down by a JU.88 and crashed in South Leverton. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John Walter Nowlan, pilot,
Sgt William Thomas Ross Stephenson, pilot,
F/Sgt Stanley Charles Steward, observer,
Sgt Ivor Howard Arthur Henderson, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth Hutchinson, wireless operator,
P/O Patrick Joseph Murphy, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Bremen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1941 at 0048 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5486
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Bremen
Bremen
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 2140LT on August 14 on an operation to Hanover. Passing over Bremen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the district of Woltmershausen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Stephen Herring, pilot,
P/O Jeffrey Drewsen, pilot,
Sgt Denis Edgar Phare, observer,
Sgt Peter John Davey, wireless operator,
Sgt Harold Kay, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Henry Reels, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Klüverdamm: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1941 at 0154 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5443
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Klüverdamm
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 2136LT on August 12 on an operation to Berlin. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Klüverdamm, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Rodney Charles Holyman, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Edward Cornwell Hudson, pilot,
Sgt Gerald Cox, observer,
F/Sgt Tom Herrington, wireless operator,
Sgt William Maxwell Jr., wireless operator,
Sgt Tom Bell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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