Melbourne AFB

Operator:

Registration:

HR696

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

Location:

Dortmund

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2232LT on May 23 on an operation to Dortmund. Believed to have crashed in the target area. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Jack Banfield Denton, pilot,
Sgt Ian Bethune Inglis, pilot,
F/Sgt Maurice Harrison, flight engineer,
Sgt Norman Peter Plenderleith, navigator,
P/O Derrick Henry George Adams, bomb aimer,
Sgt Peter Grimwood, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Edwin Wallis, air gunner,
Sgt George Henry Lawson, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II into the IJsselmeer: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DT732

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2351LT on May 13 on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the IJsselmeer. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Franklin Mills, pilot,
Sgt James Cyril Howie, flight engineer,
Sgt John Swanson Macadam, navigator,
Sgt John William Avent, bomb aimer,
Sgt Aeron Jones, wireless operator,
Sgt Charles Maltby, air gunner,
Sgt Eric John Charles Howard, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Sutton Bank: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1943 at 0443 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

JD105

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2233LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and were told to divert to RAF Leeming. Doing so, the bomber crashed on high ground and Sutton Bank and was destroyed. Five crew members were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt R. H. Geddes, pilot,
Sgt Eric Bertram Hill, pilot, †
Sgt W. A. Dunbar, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Cox, navigator, †
Sgt Hubert Stanley Taylor, navigator, †
Sgt Herbert Henry Way, wireless operator, †
Sgt George Frederick Ward, air gunner, †
Sgt K. Hart, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Tjæreborg

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1943 at 2333 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

JB930

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2124LT on an operation to Szczecin. Passing over Denmark, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Tjæreborg. All seven crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Frederick Glover, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Sidney Burr, flight engineer,
Sgt Dennis Eric Taylor, navigator,
Sgt Robert Bell, bomb aimer,
Sgt Edward James Philipps, wireless operator,
F/Lt Thomas Herbert Baker, air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Ernest Everett, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Lewes

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DT791

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2044 on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was hit by the German Flak in the port outer engine and after regaining the French coast, further damage was caused, this time to the port inner engine. The Channel was crossed on two engines, followed by a crash landing at 0520LT near Lewes. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all eight crew members were injured.
Crew:
F/Lt J. A. Wood, pilot,
Sgt Rooney,
Sgt F. Beare,
P/O K. F. Whynes,
P/O G. C. Stepney,
Sgt G. Walshaw,
Sgt P. G. O'Kill,
Sgt S. Prebble, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Badly shot about by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0304 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DT746

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

Location:

Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit

Marne

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2127LT on April 14 on an operation to Stuttgart. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Saint-Hilaire-le-Petit. Six crew members were killed and the flight engineer became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Eric George Hancock, pilot, †
Sgt Jack Lionel Lee, flight engineer,
Sgt Hugh George Owen, navigator, †
Sgt David Bertram Everitt, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Donald Ernest Funnell, wireless operator, †
Sgt Fred William Griggs, air gunner, †
Sgt John David Culleton, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Thornaby

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943 at 0231 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

DT785

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2021LT on April 4 on an operation to Kiel. It was badly shot about by a German fighter and on return, an emergency landing was attempted at RAF Thornaby. On final approach, at an altitude of 500 feet, all engines failed and the bomber stalled and crashed in an open field located short of runway. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Sgt R. C. Williams, pilot,
Sgt W. Laverick,
Sgt J. Hooson,
Sgt S. J. Stone,
Sgt R. G. H. Wray,
Sgt H. C. Redman,
Sgt J. Smith, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Failure of all four engines on final approach after being badly shot about by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Weissenhaus: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

HR699

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

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The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2052LT on an operation to Kiel. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea some 4 km northeast of Weissenhaus. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O John Allistair Wann, pilot,
F/Sgt William Malcolm Maisenbacher, flight engineer,
P/O Norman Bertram, navigator,
Sgt William Ernest Scanlon, bomb aimer,
P/O Henry Wheen, wireless operator,
P/O David Colin Tansley Jagger, air gunner,
P/O Eric Vernon Frankland, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Horst: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 2116 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

HR692

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: