Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I near Graft: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1942 at 1925 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4334
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Graft
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 Elsham Wolds at 1813LT on an operation to Duisburg. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Graft. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Louis Edmund Moriarty, pilot,
Sgt Eric Airey, flight engineer,
Sgt Ronald Owen Eynon, observer,
F/Sgt Peter Ernest Poulson, navigator,
W/O James Hawthorne Love, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Thomas Bennett, air gunner,
Sgt Alfred Ernest Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Gejlbjerg: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942 at 1953 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4786
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Gejlbjerg
Syddanmark
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1735LT to lay mines to the Broccoli region of the Great Belt. Over Denmark, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Gejlbjerg, 2 km southeast of Agerskov. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Harry Bernard Smith, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Reginald Collins, flight engineer,
F/O Samuel Tweedy Hewitt, navigator,
Sgt Gerald Thomas Canterbury, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Frater, wireless operator,
W/O Jack Athelston Hollinsworth, air gunner,
W/O Angus Daniel MacDonald, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Trebur: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 3, 1942 at 0505 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4339
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Trebur
Hesse
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 0127LT on an operation to Frankfurt. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Trebur, 16 km southwest of Frankfurt-Main Airport. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Robert Morison Cumming, pilot,
Sgt Hedley Dyke, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Tweedy Wilkinson, navigator,
Sgt Alan Moffatt Hamilton, observer,
F/O Reginald Wallace, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John William Edward Wilson, air gunner,
F/Sgt Richard Grange Stolz-Page, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Moulin-sous-Touvent: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1942 at 0300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1223
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Moulin-sous-Touvent
Oise
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1844LT on October 24 on an operation to Milan. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Moulin-sous-Touvent. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Sidney Arthur Claridge, pilot,
Sgt Bernard Dudley Swain, flight engineer,
P/O Ernest Adam Wagstaff, observer,
Sgt Stanley Victor Goodhew, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Ronald Ward Taylor, wireless operator,
Sgt Kevin William McAuliffe, air gunner,
F/Sgt James Molesworth, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Nant-le-Grand: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1942 at 2150 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1188
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Nant-le-Grand
Meuse
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1828LT on an operation to Milan. While returning to base in the evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Nant-le-Grand. Five crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Sidney Horace Fox, pilot, †
Sgt Henry Frederick Wood, pilot, †
Sgt Lawrence Fitzsimmons, flight engineer, †
W/O Herbert J. Spiller, navigator,
F/Sgt Rowland Maddocks, bomb aimer,
P/O Geoffrey Wollerton, wireless operator,
Sgt Philip Charles Heath, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Norman Alexander Mercer, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in High Hunsley: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1942 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ958
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Dishforth
Location:
High Hunsley
Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane was on a transit flight from RAF Elsham Wolds to RAF Dishforth when it crashed in unknown circumstances in High Hunsley, southwest of Beverley. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Wilbert Francis Bauer, pilot,
F/Sgt Joseph Philippe Bedard, observer,
F/Sgt Joseph Marc Seguin, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Joseph Ludovic Rodolphe Simoneau, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Joseph Paul Albert Boyer, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Disternich: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1942 at 2303 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1213
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Disternich
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1856LT on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Disternich, about 30 km southwest of Cologne. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt G. N. Parker, pilot,
P/O D. P. Munns,
P/O D. B. Murdock,
Sgt F. Briggs,
Sgt J. A. Fleming,
Sgt M. D. Lawlor,
Sgt W. S. Mason, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Rurdorf: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1942 at 2154 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7850
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Rurdorf
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1919LT on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rurdorf, some 48 km west of Cologne. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt K. F. J. Winchester, pilot, †
Sgt H. L. Pitchforth, †
Sgt W. H. Whitwham,
Sgt R. Brooker, †
Sgt R. Wilson, †
Sgt N. R. Sedgwick, †
Sgt B. W. Vaughan, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at RAF Elsham Wolds: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1942 at 1521 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BK311
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Elsham Wolds AFB
Lincolnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training exercise at RAF Elsham Wolds. On final approach, the pilot encountered strong winds and lost control of the airplane that crashed short of runway, bursting into flames. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was injured.
Crew:
W/O Edwin Henry Herbert, pilot, †
Sgt Reginald Ziser, navigator, †
Sgt Norman Desmond Green, bomb aimer, †
Sgt William Henry Allworth, wireless operator, †
Sgt Norman Clifford Meyers, wireless operator, †
Sgt T. V. Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
The wind was gusting quite strongly, causing the pilot to lose control of the airplane.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Ameland Island: 7 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 2324 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1189
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Ameland Island
Friesland
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 Elsham Wolds at 1912LT on an operation to Osnabrück. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Ameland Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt James Porter, pilot,
Sgt P. B. J. Butcher, flight engineer,
P/O R. Whitelock, navigator,
P/O A. G. Richards, bomb aimer,
F/O B. C. H. King, bomb aimer,
Sgt R. Carson, air gunner,
F/Sgt B. J. Hardesty, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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