East Wretham AFB

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Registration:

BK336

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1733LT on an operation to Fallersleben. Over Germany, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Grafeld, 34 km southwest of Cloppenburg. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Philling Crisp, pilot,
Sgt Charles Derrick Lamont, navigator,
Sgt Joseph Clegg Wood, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Owen Howard Williams, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Douglas Rowsell, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Sergines

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1942 at 2300 LT

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Registration:

X3393

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1737LT on an operation to Torino. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter, caught fire in the air and crashed near Sergines. All five crew members parachuted to safety. Three became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
Sgt Sydney Percival Smith, pilot,
Sgt Hawthorn Dalrymple Reid, navigator,
Sgt Lawrence Joseph McCosham, radio operator,
Sgt John Roy Tolmie, bomb aimer,
Sgt Robert McCullough Devine, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Montcornet: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1942 at 2154 LT

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Operator:

Registration:

BK513

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1732LT on an operation to Mannheim. While returning to base in the evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Montcornet, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Maxwell Wintringham Dixon, pilot,
Sgt Malcolm Charles Colwill, navigator,
F/Sgt James Douglas Rae, observer,
Sgt Charles Riches, wireless operator,
Sgt Andrew Graham Dunn, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Alsheim: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1942 at 2012 LT

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Registration:

BJ898

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1733LT on an operation to Mannheim. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Alsheim, 32 km north northwest of Mannheim. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Harry William Larkins, pilot,
F/O Jack Sydney Abel, navigator,
Sgt Richard Edwards Hayman, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Ernest Frank Stammers, air gunner,
F/Sgt David Garth Williams, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Monzernheim: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1942 at 0440 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BK338

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 0141LT on an operation to Frankfurt. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Monzernheim, 53 km southwest of Frankfurt. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Athol Malver McCrae, pilot,
F/Sgt Albert Morse Borden Johnson, observer,
F/Sgt Eugene Simbalist, observer,
F/Sgt John Francis Garland, wireless operator,
W/O Joseph Cecil Swarbrick, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Signy-Signets: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1942 at 2348 LT

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Registration:

BJ842

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1840LT on an operation to Stuttgart. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Signy-Signets, 14 km east southeast of Meaux. Two crew members were killed, three others became PoW and one evaded.
Crew:
Sgt E. A. Coates, pilot,
Sgt F. S. Wager,
F/O G. W. Wallace, †
Sgt R. Watson,
Sgt J. Devenish-Meares,
Sgt E. G. Payie, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Chalandry: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1942 at 2046 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BK206

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1840LT on an operation to Stuttgart. In the evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Chalandry. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt A. W. Robertson, pilot, †
Sgt K. A. Gosney,
Sgt J. A. Texter, †
Sgt A. L. Wood, †
Sgt R. D. Morris, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the Bay of Biscay: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3597

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