Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Winslow: 17 killed
Date & Time:
Aug 7, 1943 at 0255 LT
Operator:
Registration:
X3790
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Little Horwood - Little Horwood
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Little Horwood on a night training bombing exercise. As the bomb sight was defective, the exercise was aborted and the captain decided to return to RAF Little Horwood. During the final approach completed by night, the aircraft crashed on several houses located in the village of Winslow, less than one mile short of runway. Four crew members were killed as well as 13 people in the houses, among them 5 children. The radio navigator, aged 19, was the only survivor.
Crew (26th OTU):
Sgt Wilfred Davies, pilot, †
Sgt Jeffrey Harrington, radio navigator,
Sgt Valentine Jack McKeon, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt John Sowter, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt Clive Fietz. †
Civilians killed:
Thomas Cox,
Tom Paintin and his son Donald,
William and Nora Hawkins,
Stephen and Doris Mullis and their children Terence and Kathleen,
Israel and Annie Goldberg, their daughter Lottie Hoberman and her son Victor.
Source: http://www.winslow-history.org.uk/twentiethc-aircrash.shtm
Crew (26th OTU):
Sgt Wilfred Davies, pilot, †
Sgt Jeffrey Harrington, radio navigator,
Sgt Valentine Jack McKeon, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt John Sowter, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt Clive Fietz. †
Civilians killed:
Thomas Cox,
Tom Paintin and his son Donald,
William and Nora Hawkins,
Stephen and Doris Mullis and their children Terence and Kathleen,
Israel and Annie Goldberg, their daughter Lottie Hoberman and her son Victor.
Source: http://www.winslow-history.org.uk/twentiethc-aircrash.shtm
