Zone
Suffolk

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at RAF Martlesham Heath

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942 at 0220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3657
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Martlesham Heath AFB
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2050LT on August 27 on an operation to Kassel. After being badly damaged by enemy fire, the crew returned to base but diverted to RAF Martlesham Heath where the airplane crashed upon landing, bursting into flames. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
W/O James William Spinney, pilot,
Sgt Henry William Amner Collett, observer,
Sgt W. H. Moon, air gunner,
Sgt R. Mayhew,
Sgt G. C. McLennan.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ698
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
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 Stradishall in the evening of August 27 on an operation to Kassel. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
P/O Edward Beale, pilot,
Sgt Frank Donald Chudleigh,
F/Lt George Lionel Clack,
F/Sgt John Joseph Kincaid,
F/Sgt Harry Edward Roberts,
Sgt Dan Rowles.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Kessingland: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1942 at 2240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3649
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Kessingland
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2045LT on an operation to Kassel. Following an engine failure, it was ditched some 25 km southeast of Kessingland (52°22' N 2°06' E). Three crew members were rescued and two others drowned.
Crew:
Sgt Alfred Kenneth Bonser, †
F/Sgt George Thirlwell Brown, †
F/Sgt G. L. Downer,
Sgt G. L. Otter,
Sgt F. Hill.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Issum: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9155
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Issum
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2050LT on an operation to Kassel. Approaching Duisburg, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Issum, some 26 km northwest of Duisburg. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Alan Raymond Skone, pilot,
Sgt Jack King, flight engineer,
P/O Raymond Harold Dunckley, observer,
Sgt William James Bushell, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Robert Arthur Colehan, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Robert Reid Gray, wireless operator,
Sgt Cyril Lyle, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Ougrée: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1942 at 0018 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
Z1594
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Ougrée
Liège
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall on an operation to Frankfurt. Passing south of Liège, Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Ougrée. Two crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Clarence Scott Elkington, pilot, †
Sgt John Henry Garland, air gunner, †
Sgt Lorne Thomas Goat,
Sgt Alexander Keir,
Sgt Alvin Edward Young.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Vlieland Island: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1942 at 0244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ844
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Vlieland Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2148LT on August 17 on an operation to Osnabrück. While returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea off Vlieland Island. A crew member was killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt C. Foderingham,
F/Sgt W. C. Gordon,
Sgt A. W. Stewart,
Sgt D. N. McFadyen,
Sgt Charles Howard Cobbett. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Kimswerd: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1942 at 0202 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3654
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Kimswerd
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2145LT on August 17 on an operation to Osnabrück. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Kimswerd, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Earl Herbert Brown, pilot,
Sgt Eugene Sydney Thomas, pilot,
W/O Thomas McBride, observer,
Sgt William James Justice, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Douglas Haig Methven, wireless operator,
Sgt John Skipsey, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Terschelling: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1942 at 0146 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF330
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Terschelling
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 Stradishall at 2133LT on August 17 on an operation to Osnabrück. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea off Terschelling. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Andrew Fleming, pilot,
Sgt Richard Kerry, observer,
Sgt William Henry Jones, flight engineer,
Sgt Adrian Harold Cooper Gill, wireless operator,
Sgt Godfrey William Pickworth, wireless operator,
Sgt Alexander Shaw Dewar, air gunner,
P/O Kenneth Peter Symes, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Stradishall

Date & Time: Aug 7, 1942 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N3729
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Stradishall AFB
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 0115LT on an operation to Duisburg. Unable to climb above 9,000 feet, the crew decided to return to base where the airplane crashed on final approach and was destroyed. All eight crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
S/L R. G. G. English,
P/O F. C. Hill,
P/O R. M. Dunkley,
Sgt E. R. Rees,
P/O K. A. Needleson,
Sgt R. Florence,
Sgt R. G. Warwick,
Sgt C. Passingham.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Westerdeichstrich

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1942 at 0230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7560
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Westerdeichstrich
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2237LT on July 26 on an operation to Hamburg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Westerdeichstrich, about 3 km north of Büsum. All seven crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Dudley Wallace Attwood,
Sgt Ronald Gladstone Cartwright,
Sgt Celco Lima De Freitas,
Sgt Alfred Thomas Briscoe Jackson,
Sgt Douglas Lothian Knibb,
P/O Brenton Murray Sheppard,
F/Lt George Ronald Simich.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
Subscribe to Stradishall AFB