Zone
Durham

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II into the North Sea

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT615
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
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 1825LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. It was shot down by the German Flak and later ditched into the North Sea. All seven crew members were rescued 22 hours later by the Navy.
Crew:
Sgt M. F. Gray, pilot,
Sgt C. F. Wilby,
F/Sgt C. O. Hancock,
F/O W. J. McNicol,
Sgt G. H. Low,
Sgt M. S. Braniff,
P/O R. Harling, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1943 at 2145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BK468
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Schaephuysen
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 1841LT on an operation to Cologne. Approaching Düsseldorf from the north, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Schaephuysen, 19 km west of Duisburg. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Harry Alwin Hansen, pilot,
F/Sgt Roydon Martin Jupe, navigator,
F/Sgt Burnet Monteith Chamney, bomb aimer,
W/O Philip Hubert Mitchell, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Lorne Edward Kellaway, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT639
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
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 1751LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Benoit Albert Levasseur, pilot,
Sgt Griffith Arthur Lloyd,
W/O Harold Thomas Jacobsen,
Sgt John William Grant,
F/Sgt Robert Potter Wilson,
Sgt William Albert Robinson,
W/O William Reid Gray, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BK330
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Penquer
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1819LT on an operation to Lorient. Approaching the target area, it crashed for unknown reasons in Penquer, northeast of Morlaix. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Leo Garth Gibson, pilot,
F/O Frederick Russell Chapman, navigator,
Sgt Thomas Vesteinn Hughes, radio operator,
Sgt Bernard Welby Somerford, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Donald Andrew McDonald, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1943 at 2055 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT630
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Odoornerveen
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 1834LT on an operation to Hamburg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Odoornerveen, northwest of Emmen. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Jack Douglas Mackenzie, pilot, †
Sgt William Peter Duthie, flight engineer, †
Sgt William Nelson Garnet, navigator,
Sgt Eric Raymond Marquand, bomb aimer,
W/O Raymond Hepton Hill, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Alexander Henry Milton, air gunner,
W/O Lennox Alwin Gonnett, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1943 at 0009 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT623
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 1654LT on January 29 on an operation to Lorient. While returning to base the following night, shortly after midnight, it crash landed, wheels retracted. All seven crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/Lt A. P. Cranswick, pilot,
Sgt F. E. Johnston,
W/O W. McRobbie,
F/Sgt J. M. B. O'Connor,
F/Sgt D. McKenzie,
P/O J. C. Garton,
F/Sgt I. L. J. Howard, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Exeter: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1943 at 2310 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
DF626
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Exeter
Devonshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1632LT on an operation to Lorient. While returning to base in the late evening, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to jettison the bomb load. Shortly later, the airplane crashed in Exeter. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Delmer Ray Sanderson, pilot, †
F/Sgt Charles Murray Downton, †
F/Sgt Harold Hogarth Sealy, †
F/Sgt John Drake Bittner, †
Sgt P. G. E. Beauchamp,
Sgt H. R. Ernst, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
DF615
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1626LT on an operation to Lorient. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Eugene Joseph Stanton, pilot,
P/O Frank Noon,
F/O Walter Douglas Marks,
Sgt Wilfred George Goode,
F/Sgt Joseph Claude Desrosiers, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ966
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1710LT to lay mines in the Nectarines region. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea, possibly north of the Dutch coast. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Steve John Gergley, pilot,
W/O Charles William Hollingshead,
F/O Ewald George Kendel,
Sgt Alvin Gustav Olsen,
F/Sgt Ronald Hanson Welsh,
Sgt Clifford Alexander Dunphy, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7857
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
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 1632LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt F. H. Barker, pilot,
Sgt R. E. Sackville-Golden,
F/Sgt H. A. Dunn,
F/Sgt V. A. Hugli,
Sgt D. A. Watson,
Sgt W. D. Cameron,
F/Sgt W. G. Murphy, air gunner.
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