Zone

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Honington: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1942 at 0130 LT
Operator:
Registration:
W7712
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2004LT on August 28 on an operation to Saarbrücken. It encountered severe icing conditions and after losing height was hit by the German Flak in the vicinity of Ostend. The port aileron was shot away and petrol began leaking from number 5 tank. Flat splinters hit St Storey in the legs and his wounds were so severe that he died shortly after the Halifax crash landed at 0130LT at RAF Honington.
Crew:
W/O F. A. Schaw,
Sgt T. Metcalfe,
F/Sgt J. Reynolds,
F/Sgt A. W. Summers,
Sgt R. Levente,
Sgt E. R. Smith,
Sgt William Storey, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Hit by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1942 at 0303 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ876
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 0116LT on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Neeroeteren. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW:
Crew:
P/O Wilfred Victor Clarke, observer, †
Sgt William Thomas George Hall, pilot, †
F/Sgt Alistair Bruce Martin, wireless operator, †
Sgt Robert George Miller, air gunner, †
Sgt Harry Levy.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1942 at 0301 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ878
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 0123LT On an operation to Düsseldorf. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Hasselbeck, some 9 km northeast of Düsseldorf. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Reginald Ernest Sidney Pink, pilot,
W/O George Edward Ford, observer,
F/Sgt John Hannaby, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Archibald Edward McIlveen, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter John Henry Donelan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942 at 0225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3606
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2309LT on July 28 on an operation to Hamburg. Passing over Bremen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Bürgerpark in the city center. Four crew members were killed while an air gunner survived and became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Harry Ledger, pilot, †
P/O Gerard McKee Beech, observer, †
P/O John Eric Coleman, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Jack Robert Ludkin, air gunner, †
F/Sgt D. A. Hunter, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Neugraben: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942 at 0120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3475
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2241LT on July 28 on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed north of Neugraben, west of Hamburg. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O James Doran Mullins, pilot,
P/O George Albert Cooper, pilot,
P/O Maurice Walter Groves, observer,
P/O Robert Oswald Cordall, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Edward James Henry Gurr, air gunner,
Sgt John Cyril Highfield, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3456
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2300LT on July 28 on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the North Sea off Frisian Islands. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Arthur Elmslie,
Sgt George Lionel Ferry,
Sgt Henry John Hannaford,
Sgt Eric Jesse King,
Sgt William Switzer Warren, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Wetten: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1577
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 0121LT on an operation to Duisburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Wetter, some 36 km northwest of Duisburg. Two crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Henry Ernest Brown, pilot, †
P/O Norman Jefferies,
P/O George Burton Smith,
Sgt Alfred Frank Chilvers Ratcliffe, wireless operator, †
Sgt Jack Arthur Westwood.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Steventon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3423
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2325LT on June 23 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances near Steventon. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was injured. Shortly before the crash, other aircraft in the area heard the Wellington making 'Darky' calls.
Crew:
Sgt John Daniel Kingdon, pilot, †
F/Sgt George Allen Morley, observer, †
F/Sgt Archibald Bernard MacDonell, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Frederick Henry Eubank, air gunner, †
Sgt P. J. George, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Jun 21, 1942 at 0145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3713
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2346LT on June 20 on an operation to Emden. Approaching Groningen, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Leens, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/Cdr Leslie Vidal James, pilot,
F/Sgt Arthur Dunham Adair, observer,
P/O John David Baxter, wireless operator,
P/O Alfred Victor Brooks, air gunner,
Sgt Jack Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3695
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2355LT on June 11 to lay mines. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Victor William Saul,
Sgt Harvey Holmes,
Sgt Alexander Swiderski,
Sgt James Rutherford,
Sgt Frank Crawford Evans.