Honington AFB

The airplane suffered an undercarriage malfunction, forcing the crew to perform a belly landing at RAF Honington. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and there were no casualties among the crew.

The crew was performing a training mission out from RAF Honington. Following technical problems with the fin, the crew apparently attempted to divert to RAF Bassingbourn where the airplane crashed. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Clyde Haskins Larey Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Hiram Sears Patterson, copilot,
S/Sgt Joseph C. Landry, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Leslie Armin Heidelberger, navigator,
Sgt William E. Speidel Jr., radio operator.

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. †

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.