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

Date & Time: Sep 5, 1942 at 0253 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ663
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2359LT on September 4 on an operation to Emden. The following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Altenrheine, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Frederick Randall Egerton Davies, pilot,
Sgt Harold Clifford Finch, observer,
Sgt John Wynne Merifield, observer,
Sgt Herbert Randall Bushell, wireless operator,
Sgt George Kirtley Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Flize: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1942 at 0258 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ893
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2329LT on September 1st on an operation to Saarbrücken. Passing over France, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Flize, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leslie Jack Willis Ross, pilot,
P/O Reginald Albert Shires, pilot,
W/O Laurence Rosekilly, navigator,
F/Sgt James Samuel Orr, observer,
P/O Richard Albert George Tucker, wireless operator,
P/O Robert Edward Thornley, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at Barton Bendish RLG

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1942 at 0438 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1607
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2039LT on August 28 on an operation to Nuremberg. It crash landed at 0438LT at Barton Bendish RLG and was destroyed. No injuries reported.
Crew:
P/O J. W. Berry,
P/O G. E. Wallace,
Sgt J. Goad,
Sgt J. T. Harris,
Sgt W. K. Bryant.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Saint-Lambert-et-Mont-de-Jeux: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1942 at 0300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3647
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2026LT on August 28 on an operation to Nuremberg. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Saint-Lambert-et-Mont-de-Jeux. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Stansfield Allen, pilot, †
Sgt Eric Hepworth, observer, †
F/Sgt William John Hesp, observer, †
Sgt William Desmond Haddleton, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Frederick Tuck, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1942 at 0012 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ688
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2026LT on August 28 on an operation to Nuremberg. Passing Frankfurt, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Eich, some 22 km southwest of Darmstadt. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Clifford Wilbert Pafford, pilot,
P/O Francis Angus James Laidlaw, observer,
Sgt Arthur Frank Ellis, observer,
Sgt Eric Gordon Follett, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Joseph Jemmett, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Prüm

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3464
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham on an operation to Nuremberg. Passing over Prüm at an altitude of 10,000 feet, it was hit by the German Flak and later crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Brennan,
P/O John Henry Duffy,
P/O Ronald Gibson,
Sgt Lawrence Lovelady,
Sgt John George Martin.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Grand-Hallet: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942 at 2312 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3675
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2026LT on an operation to Nuremberg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Grand-Hallet. Three crew members were killed, one became PoW and another evaded.
Crew:
W/O John George Smith, pilot, †
Sgt Leslie George Carr, air gunner, †
Sgt William John Sharpe, air gunner, †
Sgt Norrice John Mackenzie,
Sgt J. Cope.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ710
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
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 Marham at 2038LT on August 27 on an operation to Kassel. It is believed that it crashed while approaching the target area. The exact place of the crash remains unclear. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Walter Allen Skelton, pilot, †
F/Sgt Wilfred Graham, observer, †
Sgt John Bingham, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Donald Edward Morgan, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. W. Middleton, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3989
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham to lay mines in the French coastal waters. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the Celtic Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Aitken,
F/Sgt James William Newman,
Sgt Eric Featherstonhaugh Stanley,
Sgt Arthur Kay Taylor-Thomas,
Sgt Gerald Osmond Tyler.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III of Lemmer: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942 at 0321 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1624
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2308LT on July 28 on an operation to Hamburg. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the IJsselmeer some 10 km southwest of Lemmer. Two crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Leonard Marton Mason, pilot, †
P/O Charles Frederick Thorpe, navigator,
Sgt James Anthony Brogan, bomb aimer, †
P/O Charles Bernard Frere Pilgrim, wireless operator,
P/O Joseph Armand Arthur Rondeau, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.