Leconfield AFB (Beverley)

En route, the four engine bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet AF MiG-15 and crashed in Boizenburg, killing all seven crew members. It is understood tha the aircraft had been attacked after staying off course 'whilst on a routine training mission' from RAF Leconfield to the Airport of Berlin-Gatow. However, that may have been a "cover story" for the aircrafts real mission of ELINT (Electronic Intelligence Gathering) over Soviet-occupied East Germany.

The aircraft was returning to RAF Leconfield, carrying four crew members and 11 passengers who were returning to their base after playing a rugby game at RAF Jurby, Isle of Man. On final approach, at an altitude of 500 feet, the pilot-in-command deployed the flaps when the airplane stalled. He increased engine power but the airplane banked left, causing the left wingtip to hit the ground. Out of control, the aircraft crashed in a field short of runway. Two passengers, two young rugby players, were killed while 13 other occupants were injured at different degrees. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Charles D. Lee, pilot,
F/Sgt Donald Munrow,
F/O Keith F Hopkins,
F/Sgt John L. S. Robinson.
Passengers:
S/Ldr Leslie Gordon Weldon Lilly,
LAC E. R. Hayes,
LAC R. C. Marshall,
AC1 E. A. Watkins,
AC1 R. W. Reaney,
AC J. Sowden,
LAC R. Smith,
LAC E. Rawson,
AC B. Mortimer
Tech Robert Taylor, †
LAC Roy Edward Skeldon. †

On 26th July 1946 110 (City of York) ATC Squadron were holding their annual summer camp at the Central Gunnery School (CGS) at Leconfield. As part of their camp the Cadets were being allowed to be taken as passengers on training flights the CGS were undertaking. There is a suggestion that more than one Wellington was being used for this but if this was so then the take-off times were staggered and their flights did not interrupt or engage with each other. The Wellington concerned in this incident had suffered an engine malfunction prior to take-off and the two cadets already down to have a flight on this aircraft were allocated to a different aircraft to have their trip. The faulty aircraft was soon repaired and two further cadets would be allowed to go up in this original aircraft for what become the ill-fated flight. The ill-fated flight finally took off with a pilot and two cadets on board at around 1400LT, they flew northwards and towards the North Yorkshire Moors. The pilot of the Wellington carried out a Bomber Affiliation training exercise with other aircraft, the Wellington was being subjected to a number of dummy attacks by two Spitfires. It was during one of these attacks and twenty five minutes into the flight that tragedy struck at 1420LT; one of the Spitfires was making a head-on attack on the Wellington when the pilot of the Spitfire misjudged the distance between the two aircraft. The two aircraft collided head on more or less directly over the village of Appleton-le-Moors. The Wellington partly broke up in the air, with parts being scattered across the main street in Appleton le Moors and on houses in the village. Both aircraft, including the main section of this Wellington came down in flames on and near the village football field. There would be no survivors. At the inquest to their deaths, the Coroner, Mr R K Smith gave a verdict of "death by misadventure".
Crew:
W/O Henryk Szwedowski, pilot.
Passengers:
Cadet William Anthony Lain,
Cadet Robert Hall.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/46-50/bj884.html

At 1535LT on 24th July 1946 this aircraft took off from Leconfield airfield for its crew to carry out a fighter affiliation exercise with a Spitfire (Spitfire TD236, of "F" Flight piloted by S/Ldr Leonard A Wood). The aircraft flew in a northerly direction, met up with the Spitfire over Driffield and then, owing to low cloud, the exercises were carried out at 10,000 feet over the Scarborough area. On board the Wellington was a pilot, a gunnery instructor and three trainee air gunners. During the exercise the Wellington was practicing taking evasive action when attacked by the fighter, it was thought that the pilot of the Wellington was making such a turn downwards, believed to have been the last of the exercise, but immediately after the last attack the Wellington went into a near vertical dive from between 6,000 and 7,000 feet from which it did not recover. At 1645LT the aircraft crashed into the grounds of Wykeham Abbey and while not catching fire it disintegrated on impact creating a large crater. All five on board stood no chance, they were killed instantly and the body of one of the crew was never found. The list or airmen below shows their trades as CWGC give. The resulting crash investigation reported that the aircraft had been reported as being nose-heavy in the weeks leading up to the crash but it was checked but was passed as serviceable on the day of this crash. The investigation listed a number of previous incidents when the aircraft had been inspected. It had been used in the prototype bouncing bomb trials and had its bomb doors removed for this but was later converted back to a "normal" Wellington and on 1st December 1943 repairs were completed at Vickers factory, Weybridge. On 17th July 1946 it was test flown and rear doors found locked up. A day later on 18th July 1946 it was test flown and the elevator trim for level flight was found incorrectly set, the cables were adjusted for correct movement. On 23rd July 1946 it was flown by F/Lt Meikle, who reported the aircraft nose heavy and the port engine was running slow. Extra ballast was added and the port engine revs were adjusted. On 24th July 1946 it was flown by W/O Schwedoski, who reported aircraft was satisfactory (he would be killed soon after in a crash at Appleton le Moors just a few days after this incident at Wykeham) but later that day the fatal crash at Wykeham occurred.
Crew:
W/O Roland Harrison, pilot,
F/Lt John Christopher Haldon, air gunner,
W/O Frederick Charles Stiff, air gunner,
F/Sgt Peter Ingram, air gunner,
W/O John Forest Armstrong, wireless operator and engineer.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/ryedale/bj895.html

The crew was engaged in a demonstration flight at RAF Leconfield and was performing an exercise consisting to prove the aircraft was able to fly with only one engine operative. While cruising at low height in the vicinity of the airbase, the crew shut down three engines and continued to fly on one engine only when the aircraft lost height, stalled and crashed in a field located near the airfield. While all six crew members were rescued, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew was returning to his base in RAF Leconfield following a bombing mission over Magdeburg. While cruising by night over The Netherlands, the aircraft was attacked by a German fighter. Several bullets hit both left engines and a fuel tank as well. Few seconds later, the left wing separated and the aircraft dove into the ground. Two crewmen were able to bail out before the crash and were later rescued. All five other crew members were killed. The left wing was found some 200 meters from the main wreckage.
Crew:
Conrad George Johnston, pilot, †
John Kevin Thompson, rear gunner, †
S. Hennan, †
L. W. Wykes, †
J. F. Morgan, †
L. B. Doust,
J. E. Dobson.

The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 1954LT on an operation to Bochum. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Barchem. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Edward Richard Culff, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Albert Dew, navigator,
F/O Leslie Duncan McAllister, bomb aimer,
Sgt Albert Charles August Veeck, wireless operator,
Sgt Hubert Roy Wilmore, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 1922LT for mine laying duties in the Nectarines region. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Terschelling. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Henry Cavell Duckmanton, pilot, †
Sgt Douglas Robert Jeffrey, navigator, †
Sgt Basil John France Crook, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Samuel Robert Outra Hermon, wireless operator, †
Sgt Edwin Webster Booth, air gunner.

While taking off at night, the airplane swung off the runway and collided with a large heap of constructor's gravel. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Sgt J. Greenfield, pilot +4.

Following an engine failure in flight, the airplane crash landed in a field located north of RAF Leconfield. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt R. A. Illingworth, pilot +4.