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Durham

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.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Bedburg-Hau: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 13, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB791
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Bedburg-Hau
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2318LT on May 12 on an operation to Duisburg. It was hit by the German Flak at 20,000 feet after leaving the target areas. It was partially abandoned by the crew and crashed in Bedburg-Hau. The pilot and the wireless operator were killed while five other crew members parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Glen Allen McMillan, pilot, †
Sgt William John Howell, flight engineer,
P/O Harry Enever,
Sgt William Joseph Klein,
Sgt Walter Herbert David Alison, wireless operator, †
P/O Albert Randall Wallace, air gunner,
Sgt Henry George Bees, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Hit by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Noordeinde: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1943 at 0209 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7817
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Noordeinde
Gelderland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2301LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Noordeinde, 5 km southwest of Kampen. An air gunner was killed and six other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Charles Joseph Leonard Vaillancourt, pilot,
Sgt Angus Jaynes, flight engineer,
P/O Donald Grimshaw, navigator,
Sgt Norman Main Douglas, bomb aimer,
Sgt Angus Stewart Morrison, wireless operator,
Sgt James Lonnie Peck, air gunner,
F/Sgt Frederick Thomas Stanley, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT794
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Dortmund
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 2251LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the city center. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O William Gerald Elliott, pilot,
Sgt George Douglas Menzies, flight engineer,
F/O Elmer Earl Kennedy, navigator,
F/O Hugh Morland Metcalfe, navigator,
Sgt Gordon Sandfield, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Alexander Farrel, air gunner,
F/Sgt John William McIntosh, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1943 at 0129 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB923
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Hirtshals
Nordjylland
Country:
Denmark
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 2042LT on April 28 for mine laying duties in the Silverthorne area. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea west of Hirtshals. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O George Kenneth Alfred Smallwood, pilot,
Sgt James Arthur Laurence Allan, flight engineer,
F/Sgt John William Carley, navigator,
W/O James Michael Barry O'Connor, bomb aimer,
W/O James Gordon Acker, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Lloyd Joseph Charles Murphy, air gunner,
F/Sgt Robert Russell Gourde, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Eggesin: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1943 at 0045 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB912
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Eggesin
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2114LT on April 20 on an operation to Szczecin. Cruising at an altitude of 16,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Eggesin. An air gunner was killed and seven other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Earl Jackson, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Frederick Westerman, pilot,
Sgt Camille Joseph Sebastien, flight engineer,
F/Sgt James Martin Carlton, navigator,
P/O Jack R. Fry, bomb aimer,
Sgt Thomas Mervyn Crandell, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Dennis Arthur Watkins, air gunner, †
Sgt Edwin Jury, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Froidlieu: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE682
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Froidlieu
All Luxembourg
Country:
Luxembourg
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2114LT on April 16 on an operation to Mannheim. Over Luxembourg, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Froidlieu. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Lawrence Melville Horahan, pilot, †
F/Sgt James Earl Isaacs, navigator, †
F/Sgt Lester Kenneth Plank, navigator, †
Sgt Horace Stanley Pullen Radford, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Kenneth Thomas Peter Allan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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