Zone
Durham

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Rucphen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1943 at 0143 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1271
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Rucphen
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2342LT on June 21 on an operation to Krefeld. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed west of Rucphen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Colin Rees Pearce, pilot,
Sgt Joseph John Francis Holland, flight engineer,
F/Sgt William Tidswell Ellis, navigator,
Sgt Glyn John Davies Thompson, bomb aimer,
Sgt William James Randall, wireless operator,
Sgt James Galloway, air gunner,
F/Sgt Edgar Lester Robson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1943 at 0206 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT616
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Teglingen
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2300LT on June 12 on an operation to Bochum. Passing Meppen, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Teglingen. All seven crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Bertram Denis Kirkham, pilot,
Sgt Robert James Hamilton, flight engineer,
Sgt Harold Arthur Taylor, navigator,
Sgt Denys Beatty Whittaker, bomb aimer,
Sgt Francis James Callaghan, wireless operator,
Sgt James Albert Mills, air gunner,
Sgt David Lawson Gray, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Xanten: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1943 at 0155 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JD143
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Xanten
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2240LT on June 11 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Xanten, 52 km north northwest of Düsseldorf. Three crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
F/O William John Boyce, pilot, †
W/O Herbert Andrew Tripp, pilot, †
Sgt David Newton Stewart, flight engineer,
F/O Duncan Ian Black, navigator,
F/O Charles Lincoln Buck, bomb aimer,
Sgt Douglas Edward Cyril Chambers, wireless operator, †
Sgt Richard Manning Hall, air gunner,
Sgt John Douglas Gray, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0257 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB805
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Péronnes
Hainaut
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2248LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Péronnes, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Phillip Shuttleworth Johnson, pilot,
Sgt Charles Patrick Baker, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Rowland Stafford Metcalf, navigator,
F/Sgt Thomas William Peets, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Gwyn Fryn Humphreys, wireless operator,
F/Sgt David Jacob Shtitz, air gunner,
F/Sgt Edward Lawrence Armstrong, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Eupen: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB793
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Eupen
Liege
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2252LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed 3 km east of Eupen. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Frank Ellsworth Winegarden, pilot, †
Sgt Ernest Hall, flight engineer, †
Sgt Ross Matthews Mingay, navigator,
P/O FrankHarrison Hubbs, bomb aimer,
Sgt Stanley George Ward, wireless operator,
Sgt Lawrence Ronald Lamoure, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Roy Munro Ricketts, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Genend: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1943 at 0150 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB862
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Genend
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2300LT on May 23 on an operation to Dortmund. Approaching Duisburg, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Genend, 12 km northwest of Duisburg. Six crew members were killed and the flight engineer became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Arthur Stanley Green, pilot, †
Sgt Francis Albert Dunn, flight engineer,
F/O Douglas Gartery, navigator, †
Sgt Alfred James Brockway, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Michael Arthur Harrison, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Joseph Fernard Jacques Pa Prieur, air gunner, †
F/Sgt George Robert Gowling, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near RAF Middleton Saint George

Date & Time: May 24, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
BB384
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Middleton St George AFB
Durham
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2301LT on May 23 on an operation to Dortmund. While returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel on final approach to base and crash landed in a field located in Dinsdale. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
F/O P. G. Weedon, pilot,
Sgt C. W. Nevins,
F/O P. Campbell,
F/O R. K. Shields,
Sgt M. Wigelsworth,
Sgt S. Poole,
Sgt D. G. Plyley, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Dalen: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1943 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JD113
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Dalen
Drenthe
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2357LT on May 13 on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Dalen. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Walter Herbert Secretan Buckwell, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick William Walkerdine, flight engineer, †
F/O Russell William Lowry, navigator,
Sgt William Matheson Reid, bomb aimer,
Sgt William James Nathaniel Duggan, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Alfred Eugene Hurteau, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Walter Le Roy Bovaird, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 14, 1943 at 0231 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT672
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Geldern
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2344LT on May 13 on an operation to Bochum. Over Germany, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Geldern, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt George Adams, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Stefhen Neal, flight engineer,
F/Sgt William Heyer Bowden, bomb aimer,
F/O Edward Basil Ruto, bomb aimer,
Sgt Edwin Kurring, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Lawrence David McEwen, air gunner,
Sgt Oliver John Haralson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 13, 1943 at 0247 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB861
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Zuidland
South Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2314LT on May 12 on an operation to Duisburg. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Zuidland. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O John Palmer, pilot,
Sgt William Allan Simonett, flight engineer,
F/O Thomas Brown, bomb aimer,
Sgt Herbert Walsh, bomb aimer,
W/O Raymond Cuthbert Weedy, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Roger Emile Lucien Ratelle, air gunner,
Sgt Alfred James Gearing, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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