Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Pocklington

Date & Time: May 5, 1943 at 1604 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB867
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Pocklington AFB
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Pocklington on a training exercise. During the takeoff roll, the airplane swung out of control and came to a stop with its undercarriage collapsed. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
F/O A. Gibson, pilot,
Sgt D. J. Varney,
F/O D. L. Mayes,
Sgt D. V. Atkins,
Sgt G. F. Powell,
P/O W. T. Carroll,
Sgt R. M. Curtis, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1943 at 0314 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7820
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
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 Pocklington at 2234LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. After being badly shot about by the German Flak, the crew returned to base but was eventually forced to ditch the airplane into the North Sea some 120 km off Flamborough Head. All seven crew members were rescued.
Crew:
F/Sgt J. Bowman, pilot,
Sgt D. Galbraith,
Sgt G. C. Parry,
Sgt J. J. Prinsloo,
Sgt H. R. Mock,
Sgt J. H. Loveless,
Sgt S. J. Tregunno, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Badly shot about by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1943 at 0036 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR667
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Westergeest
Friesland
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 Pocklington at 2236LT on May 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Westergeest, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
S/L John Bernard Flowerdew, pilot,
F/Sgt Peter Edward Tiller, flight engineer,
P/O Donald Edward Grant, navigator,
P/O Harold George Raymond Chiverton, bomb aimer,
Sgt John George Stanley Dutton, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Kenneth Howard Buck, air gunner,
Sgt George Rose, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB869
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Mönchengladbach
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2241LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It crashed in unknown circumstances in the vicinity of Mönchengladbach. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Bernard Johnson Happold, pilot, †
Sgt Gordon Stanley Bowles, flight engineer, †
F/O John Baxter, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Duncan Roy McGregor, air gunner, †
Sgt Joseph Harold Barratt,
Sgt John Brownlie,
Sgt Thomas Hatdn Jones, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1943 at 0429 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB918
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Texel Island
North 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 Pocklington at 0041LT on an operation to Duisburg. Passing along the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Texel Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O James George Grainger, pilot,
Sgt. Frederick George Harris, flight engineer,
Sgt Kenneth Oatridge, navigator,
Sgt William Foley, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Alfred Willis, wireless operator,
Sgt Howard Beck, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas Alfred Wells, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Nyborg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1943 at 0226 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR712
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Nyborg
Syddanmark
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2134LT on April 20 on an operation to Szczecin. Passing over Denmark, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Nyborg. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Russell Olliver, pilot,
Sgt George Simpson Meldrum, flight engineer,
Sgt George Lewis Doidge, navigator, †
Sgt Alexander Felix Warner, bomb aimer, †
W/O Gordon Harold Bartman, wireless operator, †
Sgt Frank William Day, air gunner, †
Sgt James Bolton McMillan Irving, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Sædding: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1943 at 0051 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT747
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Sædding
Syddanmark
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2120LT on April 20 on an operation to Szczecin. Passing over Denmark, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Sædding. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Wilfred Ambrose Griffiths, pilot,
F/Sgt Thomas Samuel Eric Bennett, pilot,
Sgt James Thomas Smith, flight engineer,
Sgt Wilfrid Charles Marsh, observer,
Sgt James Kenneth Campbell, bomb aimer,
Sgt Arnold Jenkinson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Alexander Cuthbert Weir, air gunner,
Sgt Bertram Charles John White, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Eppe-Sauvage: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0406 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR663
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Eppe-Sauvage
Nord
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2049LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. While returning to base the following night and flying over France at an altitude of 9,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Eppe-Sauvage. An air gunner was killed, four crew members evaded and two others became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Wallace Ivor Lashbrook, pilot,
F/Sgt Douglas Charles Knight, flight engineer,
F/O Kenneth James Bolton, navigator,
F/O Alfred Martin, bomb aimer,
Sgt Robert William Laws, wireless operator,
Sgt Lawrence Irving Neill, air gunner,
F/O Graham George Williams, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Pocklington: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB848
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Pocklington AFB
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2158LT on an operation to Berlin. Two minutes later, while in initial climb, it stalled and crashed near the airbase, bursting into flames. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Phelps Comrie, pilot,
Sgt William J. McGrath, flight engineer,
F/O Douglas William Francis Harper, navigator,
P/O William Hugh Jenkins, bomb aimer,
Sgt Frank William Dorrington, wireless operator,
Sgt John King, air gunner,
Sgt Myles Christian Cambell Squiers, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Loss of control after takeoff caused by wake turbulence from a preceding airplane.

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

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943 at 2227 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB836
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Den Helder
North 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 Pocklington at 1923LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 20 km southwest of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Anthony Drew Ashby Barnes, pilot,
Sgt James Stephen Lowdell, flight engineer,
Sgt Arthur Leonard Thurlow, navigator,
Sgt Gerald Cecil Felsenstein, bomb aimer,
F/O Edwin Harold Beeton, wireless operator,
Sgt Victor Norman Elkins, air gunner,
Sgt William Patrick Quinlivan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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