Mildenhall AFB

Operator:

Registration:

X3360

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Bedburg-Hau

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2315LT on August 5 on an operation to Essen. After passing the Dutch/German border, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Bedburg-Hau. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt William James Macalay, pilot,
P/O Raymond Marinus Krefting, pilot,
F/Sgt Harold Alexander Brown, observer,
Sgt Ronald Frederick Churchill, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Henry Johnson, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas Henry Lawton, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV off Lorient: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1386

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2128LT on August 5 to lay mines in the French waters off Lorient. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Jakub Ciolek, navigator, †
P/O Ludwik Domanski, pilot, †
Cpl Antoni Jozef Frankowski, †
Sgt Walenty Gohres, †
Sgt Ludwik Tadeusz Jozef Kurowski, †
Sgt P. Hur.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

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

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1942 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3712

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall on an operation to Saarbrücken. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Porcheresse. Four crew members were killed and a fifth evaded.
Crew:
W/O Noel Mchenry Moore, pilot, †
Sgt Brian Edward Coffey, observer, †
F/Sgt Kenneth Johannes Aronson, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Donald Archie Macaulay, wireless operator, †
Sgt W. R. Oorndorff, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Terschelling: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3488

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall on an operation to Hamburg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea west of Terschelling. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr John Fulton,
F/Sgt Edward Francis Monroe, pilot,
P/O Neil Greig Arthur, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Herbert Bryden,
P/O William Gordon Campbell, wireless operator,
P/O Harley James Dell.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3416

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 0058LT on an operation to Duisburg. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
W/O Warren Langton Sargant, pilot,
F/Sgt Basel Vincent Pearce, navigator,
F/Sgt Ferneaux Montague Van Geun, wireless operator,
Sgt James Grant, air gunner,
F/Sgt William Leonard Maxim, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Oare: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1597

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall to lay mines off Lorient. While returning to base at night, it descended below the clouds when it impacted trees and crashed in hilly terrain near Oare. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Patrick Louis Murphy, pilot,
F/Sgt Cecil Baker Smith, pilot,
P/O Ivan Thomas Hugh Evans, observer,
F/Sgt John Gordon Holmes, wireless operator,
F/Sgt James McMillan Ferguson, air gunner,
WO Clayton Penrose Lindon Brown, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Noordwijk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1942 at 0323 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3723

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2336LT on June 16 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Noordwijk. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Arnold Harveys Harris, pilot,
Sgt Norman Edward Costigan, observer,
F/Sgt Harry Alexander MacDonald, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Thompson Hunter, air gunner,
P/O Frederick Ritchie Donnison, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Gooreind: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 17, 1942 at 0139 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3359

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2355LT on June 16 on an operation to Essen. About 30 minutes out from the target, the crew encountered technical difficulties with the right propeller that developed excessive vibration. Later, the airplane was hit by light Flak and the crew eventually decided to abandon the airplane that crashed in Gooreind. The pilot was killed, two others became PoiW and two others evaded.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Emile Leblanc, pilot, †
P/O John Henry Watson, navigator,
Sgt Eric Alfred Winkler, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman William Bradley, air gunner,
Sgt Joseph Arthur Angus Bruneau Angers, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine problems.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1942 at 0116 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X3486

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: