Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Carew Cheriton: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1942 at 1130 LT
Operator:
Registration:
Z6751
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2139
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on an anti-submarine patrol mission over the Atlantic Ocean. While returning to base, it ran out of fuel and diverted to RAF Carew Cheriton where it crashed on final approach. The pilot was killed and five other crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Brian Arthur Tidman, pilot, †
F/O Dennis McHarrie, navigator,
Sgt J. Wilson, bomb aimer,
Sgt D. L. Crossley, wireless operator,
Sgt D. M. Shyba, air gunner,
Sgt M. D. Woods, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V in Freshwater West: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 3, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AM646
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Carew Cheriton - Saint Eval
MSN:
414-2728
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a bombing practice exercise with a crew of four on board. While flying over the sea, the crew was preparing for a second run but the airplane was too low and failed to gain height. It collided with a hedge and crashed in a field near Freshwater West, bursting into flames. Three crew members were killed and the air gunner was injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leslie Eric Letchford Huddleston, pilot, †
F/Sgt Gilbert Gerard Belec, navigator, †
F/Sgt Donald Frederick Page, wireless operator, †
W/O Alex Maier, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Taulé: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
Z6579
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2050
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a maritime patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay. Passing over Brittany, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Taulé, northwest of Morlaix. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William Ferries Raffan, pilot,
P/O Malcolm Graeme Grant, pilot,
Sgt Ernest Cheetham, navigator,
Sgt Edward Marsden, navigator,
Sgt James David Maxwell, radio operator,
Sgt Gilbert Charles James Heywood, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson VI into the Bay of Biscay: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EW921
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
414-6805
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on an anti-submarine patrol mission over the Bay of Biscay. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
W/O Moses Zumar, pilot,
F/Sgt George Alvin Keil, navigator,
F/Sgt Leslie Arthur Merchant, air gunner,
F/Sgt Thomas Henry Grain, air gunner,
F/Sgt Horace James Woolatt, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off La Rochelle: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
BD290
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2597
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a maritime patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off La Rochelle. The pilot was killed while four other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt James William McLean, pilot, †
Sgt Philip Francis Barnet Creech, copilot,
W/O John Donald Carmichael, radio operator,
W/O John Torrie Johnston, observer,
Sgt Melvin Howard Treanor, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Pentrez

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
Z6795
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2155
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on an anti-submarine sweep operation in the Atlantic Ocean. Due to fuel exhaustion, the crew was forced to make an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed on a beach in Pentrez. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Neville James Mundell, pilot,
W/O James Frederick Grier,
Sgt Hugh Gerald Philip Hart,
W/O Ian Gilchrist Keiller,
F/Sgt Kenneth George d'Arcy Farrell,
Sgt Eric James Christian, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I into the Celtic Sea: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R5661
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1145LT to attack the tanker named 'Coruna' cruising north of Spain. It is believed that it was shot down by enemy fire while attacking the tanker and failed to return to base. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Archibald Leonard Searby, pilot,
P/O Arthur Eaton, flight engineer,
Sgt Ian Verdun Witham, navigator,
Sgt Albert Eric Townsend, bomb aimer,
F/O Rupert Alexander Haig, wireless operator,
Sgt David Canet, air gunner,
Sgt Samuel Richard Vowles, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Brest

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
Z9300
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2364
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a seven-and-a-half hour patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The port engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the airplane off Brest. All five crew members were able to get into the dinghy and were picked up by a Royal Navy destroyer three days later.
Crew:
Sgt F. Boyd,
Sgt W. G. Wishart,
Sgt T. Parker
Sgt R. F. Crouch
Sgt A. J. Hendry.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I near Port Quinn: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1942 at 1450 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T9460
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
414-2513
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a meteorology mission. While returning to base, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a cloud base at 150 feet. When over the airfield, the crew called on the R/T and was directed to land at RAF Predannack, south Cornwall. The crew acknowledged this instruction but instead of flying to Predannack, the aircraft flew along the coast. At an insufficient altitude, the airplane impacted the ground and crashed near Port Quinn. All four crew members were killed.
Crew
Sgt Douglas Ellerington Peart, pilot,
Sgt Derek John Newcombe, observer,
Sgt Morris Solomon, wireless operator,
Sgt Eric Leslie Waldron, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Low cloud was the main contributory factor to the accident. Also the pilot had disregarded instructions to proceed to Predannack, and it was bad airmanship in trying to follow a difficult coastline in bad visibility.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Punta do Limo: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
BD210
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
2530
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1210LT on an anti-submarine patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay. While cruising along the Spanish coast, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog when the airplane impacted the shore in Punta do Limo, some 60 km northeast of A Coruña. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Brian Willson, pilot,
P/O Leslie Charles Froud, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Arthur Harsum, observer,
Sgt Stanley Brimer, wireless operator,
Sgt Herbert Kitchener Bromage, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Alexander Seaton Lorimer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.