Mildenhall AFB

Operator:

Registration:

Z1145

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1810LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. It was damaged by enemy action and while returning to base the following night, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane crashed into the sea off Spurn Head. Two crew members were rescued and four others were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas George Cottier, pilot, †
P/O Clifford Herbert Lomas, †
F/Sgt Lloyd Charles Powell, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Noel Pugh, †
Sgt A. E. Cox,
Sgt J. A. H. Lucas.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Anston

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0208 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

W7461

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1823LT on January 15 an operation to Hamburg. It experienced an engine failure over the target area and on return, the crew met very poor visibility. Due to fuel exhaustion, the captain ordered his crew to bail out and later attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed one mile southwest of Anston and was written off. All eight crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/O William George Barnes, pilot,
Sgt Baker, copilot,
Sgt Townsend, flight engineer,
Sgt Cyril William Dellow, observer,
Sgt Heron, observer,
Sgt Leonard Charles Collins, wireless operator,
Sgt Cook, air gunner,
Sgt Richard Thomas Patrick Gallagher, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure and fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Boxworth

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1941 at 1215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

W7456

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

While on a training flight out from RAF Mildenhall, a fire developed in one of the starboard engines and the airplane crash landed at 1215LT at Boxworth. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
P/O C. Lofthouse +4.

Probable cause:

Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R1627

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall on an operation to Emden. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Reginald Vernon Bawden,
Sgt Ronald Bramhall,
Sgt Brown Ferguson,
Sgt James Ernest King,
Sgt John Kenneth Moss,
Sgt Cyril Northcott.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Isselburg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941 at 0047 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X9878

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Isselburg

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1726LT on November 7 on an operation to Berlin. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Isselburg. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Patrick Ian Leeman, pilot, †
Sgt Stanley William Dane, pilot, †
Sgt Albert Charles Arthur Davis, observer, †
P/O Herbert Roy Crowe, wireless operator, †
Sgt John Charles Penegelly, air gunner, †
Sgt Frederick Jenkinson.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Antwerp: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z8795

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Antwerp

Country:

Belgium

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1829LT on an operation to Antwerp. Approaching the target area, it crashed in the River Schelde. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Donald Warren Brubaker, pilot,
Sgt Francis Leo Capstick,
P/O Andrew Charles Lang Hodge,
Sgt James Wilfred Horrocks,
Sgt John St. George Johnston,
Sgt Leonard Eric Scantlebury, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II off Orford: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1941 at 0325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5384

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2258LT on September 19 on an operation to Stettin. While returning to base the following night with the port engine out, it was ditched into the sea some 8 miles east of Orford Ness. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was rescued.
Crew:
P/O Ian Campbell Burke, †
Sgt Alexander Carstairs, †
Sgt John Graham Jones, wireless operator, †
Sgt Trevor Gordon Lister, †
Sgt David John Mackintosh, †
Sgt T. W. Rayment.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Kaltenhof: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X9879

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: