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Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Cologne: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS662
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 2357LT on July 3 on an operation to Cologne. It crashed in unknown circumstances in the target area. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Bennett Stokes-Roberts, pilot, †
Sgt David Oliver Wilcox, flight engineer, †
Sgt Dennis Arthur Crowsley, wireless operator, †
F/O Robert Leonard Donovan, navigator, †
Sgt Thomas Frederick Shevels, bomb aimer,
Sgt George Thomson, air gunner, †
Sgt Stanley Eric Finch, air gunner. †

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

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1943 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS666
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
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 II near Grez-Neuville: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1943 at 0211 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS663
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
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 2250LT on June 25 on a mine laying operation in the French waters off Lorient. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near the Château de la Beuvrière located about 4 km southwest of Grez-Neuville. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Frederick Alan Whitehead, pilot,
Sgt Leslie Frederick Price, flight engineer,
Sgt Patrick Edward Glover, navigator,
F/O Frederick Parry, bomb aimer,
Sgt Eric Ryder Richardson, radio operator,
Sgt Edward Gordon Baker, air gunner,
Sgt William McIlwee McGowan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Ingrandes-le-Fresne-sur-Loire: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1943 at 0201 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS668
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 2119LT on June 19 on a mine laying operation off La Rochelle. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and abandoned by the crew before crashing in Ingrandes-le-Fresne-sur-Loire. The pilot was killed, two crew evaded and four others became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Derek Frank Paston Brown, pilot, †
Sgt Alexander Suttie Davidson,
P/O Charles Neville Pitchford,
Sgt A. H. Sheppard,
Sgt C. F. Trott,
Sgt R. Gould, air gunner,
Sgt L. King, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1943 at 0239 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS652
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
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 0002LT on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Waddenzee 15 km northeast of Den Oever. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ian Richard Victor Ruff, pilot,
Sgt John Frederick Mustchin, flight engineer,
Sgt Norman William Procter, navigator,
Sgt Paul Dalralph Deck, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Renwick Glendinning, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Anthony Rush, air gunner,
F/Sgt Frederick Cuffey, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Mill: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1943 at 0216 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS647
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
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 0027LT on an operation to Düsseldorf. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Mill, 18 km south southwest of Nijmegen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Douglas Parr Fox, pilot,
Sgt Peter Francis Nixon, flight engineer,
W/O Kenneth Loren Spring, navigator,
F/Sgt Philip Arthur Chapman, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Alan Morton Johnson, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Derek Bulmer, air gunner,
F/Sgt Alan Seblery Spires, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II at RAF East Wretham: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0340 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS616
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 2350LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was very badly shot about by a German fighter whose fire damaged the port outer engine, port rudder and fuselage. During the engagement, the air gunner was killed. The airplane was able to return to base where it crashed upon landing the following night. All other six crew members survived.
Crew:
F/O J. F. Andrews, pilot,
F/Sgt T. C. Wellock,
P/O E. B. Pidgeon,
Sgt W. Reid,
Sgt C. Skripsy,
Sgt W. Mitchell,
Sgt John James Glazzard, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Hechtel-Eksel: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0218 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS627
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
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 2356LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Hechtel-Eksel, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Roughead Fleming, pilot,
Sgt Hopkin George Thomas, flight engineer,
Sgt Robert Adair, navigator,
P/O Charles Kenneth Coker, bomb aimer,
Sgt James Currie, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth George Berry, air gunner,
Sgt Arthur Raymond Tickner, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Gelsenkirchen: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 28, 1943 at 0057 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS655
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 2320LT on May 27 on an operation to Essen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Gelsenkirchen. Six crew members were killed while the pilot survived and became PoW.
Crew:
F/O G. W. Cammell, pilot,
Sgt Eric Gordon Baker, †
F/O George William Cooper, †
Sgt George Albert Parker, †
F/O Halford Douglas Pye, †
F/O Robert Ryland Reid, †
F/O David Stuart Williams, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Duisburg: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS609
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
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 0108LT on an operation to Duisburg. It crashed in unknown circumstances in the target area. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Harvey B. Minnis, pilot,
Sgt Charles Edward Thorne,
Sgt Leigh Gordon Webster,
Sgt Norman Law,
Sgt Wilfred Arthur Timms,
Sgt William Charles Snook,
P/O Edward Austin Foster, air gunner.