Zone
Yorkshire

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Diemen: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1943 at 0215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE154
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Diemen
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2314LT on June 11 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Diemen, in the southeast suburb of Amsterdam. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Fletcher William Randall Green, pilot,
F/Sgt Kenneth Edwin Fletcher, navigator,
Sgt Arthur Sidney Jones, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt John Francis Mell, air gunner.
F/Sgt Edward David Milliken, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Lank-Latum: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1943 at 0150 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE150
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Lank-Latum
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2316LT on June 11 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Passing over Krefeld, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Lank-Latum, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Frank Mackelden, pilot,
F/O Stephen Roxburgh, navigator,
P/O Edward Maurice Gold, wireless operator,
Sgt Trevor Charles Herbert,
F/Sgt Robert William Maroney,
Sgt Alexander George Rawlins, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X near RAF Leconfield

Date & Time: Jun 1, 1943 at 1918 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE163
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Leconfield AFB (Beverley)
Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane took off at 1858LT from an advanced base on a mine laying operation. The engines failed, forcing the crew to return. The airplane crash landed in a field located east of RAF Leconfield and was destroyed by a post crash fire. All five crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
F/O J. L. Deans, pilot,
P/O A. E. Bothwell,
P/O J. R. Vickers,
F/Sgt S. A. Hurrell,
Sgt N. Butts.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Vollezele: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE212
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Vollezele
Flemish Brabant
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2223LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Vollezele, killing all five crew members.
Crew:
P/O Henry Simon Raoul Lloyd,
P/O William Roy Hendon, navigator,
P/O Anthony Vyvian Harper, bomb aimer,
Sgt Sydney Charles Luke, wireless operator,
Sgt William James Blundell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Reuver: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0050 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
MS494
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Reuver
Limburg
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2226LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Reuver. The air gunner was killed and four other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Lindsay Oliver Howard Upjohn, pilot,
Sgt James Paterson, navigator,
Sgt Robert Alexander Napier, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Vernon Garfield, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Francis Hay, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Vollezele

Date & Time: May 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HZ269
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Vollezele
Flemish Brabant
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2211LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal and crashed in unclear circumstances in Vollezele. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O John Charlwood Launder, pilot,
Sgt Frank Leslie James Hall,
P/O Robert Hutton,
Sgt Roy Willis,
Sgt Ian Farquhar, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Probably shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HZ257
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2210LT on May 21 for mine laying duties in the Nectarines region. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea after being shot down by the German Flak. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Edward Thomas Horner, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Frederick Lane,
F/Sgt Oswald Percy Morton,
F/Sgt Angus Donald Mackay Ross,
F/Sgt Terence Joseph Brassel, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into the Celtic Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE386
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Celtic Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2159LT on a mine laying operation in the Jellyfish area (Brest). It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the Celtic Sea, maybe The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt John William Lawson, pilot,
F/Sgt Roy Dempsey Carne,
Sgt Desmond Charles Robertson,
F/Sgt Russell Leslie Robertson,
Sgt George Edwin Harmes, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Winterton-on-Sea

Date & Time: May 14, 1943 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HZ271
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Winterton-on-Sea
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2353LT on May 13 on an operation to Bochum. While returning to base the following morning, it was abandoned by the crew and crashed 1,5 km northwest of Winterton-on-Sea. All five crew members parachuted to safety.
Crew:
Sgt E. F. Hicks, pilot,
F/O R. F. Clayton,
F/Sgt H. L. Fyfe,
Sgt F. C. Blair,
Sgt S. Robbins, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X off Kijkduin: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
MS473
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Kijkduin
South Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 2356LT on May 13 on an operation to Bochum. While returning to base the following night, it suffered engine problems and was ditched in the North Sea off Kijkduin. The pilot was killed and four other crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Sampson, pilot, †
Sgt Charles William Jones, observer,
F/Sgt John Frederick Cahill, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Kevin Stanislaus Murphy, wireless operator,
Sgt Roy John Thomas Lester, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.
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