Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Sylt Island: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1941 at 0013 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1024
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2116LT on August 12 on an operation to Hannover. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea off Sylt Island. All six crew members were killed.
crew:
P/O Frederick Hill Beemer, pilot,
Sgt Peter Edward Hay Dangerfield,
Sgt Ernest William Hall,
Sgt Jack Richard Littlefield,
P/O Foster William Jack Scott, observer,
Sgt Charles Frederick Young.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Sylt Island

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6139
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Great Massingham - Great Massingham
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1029LT on an operation to Westerland. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Sylt Island. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Clement Murray Chown,
Sgt Michael Kelly,
Sgt Alfred Ernest William Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Sylt Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
R3801
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Great Massingham - Great Massingham
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1030LT on an operation to Westerland. Approaching Sylt Island, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas Andrew Hillock Drysdale, pilot,
Sgt Stanley Thomas Frank Edwards, observer,
Sgt Harold Challis, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Sylt Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
N6140
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
West Raynham - West Raynham
MSN:
9240
YOM:
1939
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF West Raynham on an operation over German when it crashed into the sea off Sylt Island, probably after being shot down. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr Joseph Henry Hargroves, pilot,
Sgt Ewart William Smith, observer,
Sgt Robert Mark Livermore, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Sylt Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
P1319
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton on operations to the Frisian Islands. While approaching the Sylt Island at night, the airplane was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Arthur Herbert Benson, pilot,
P/O Alfred Peter Burdett Hordern, pilot,
Sgt Robert Ian Leonard MacKenzie, observer,
LAC J. D. Openshaw, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Sylt Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 20, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
N1405
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1559
YOM:
1939
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a bombing mission over Sylt Island. While approaching the island at night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea, killing all five crew menbers.
Crew (51st Squadron):
F/Lt John Edward Baskerville, pilot,
P/O Emery Orville Fennell, pilot,
Sgt Bertram David Shepperson, observer,
LAC Leslie Close, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC William George Newton, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 off Sylt: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
5385
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Sylt Island, maybe following an engine failure. No trace of the aircraft nor the four crewmen was found.
Crew:
Lt Hans Hüsgen, pilot,
Fw Walter Stemmler, observer,
Fw Erwin Hasse, radio operator,
Uffz Erich Frank, flight engineer.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I off Sylt: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
N7219
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leuchars - Leuchars
MSN:
414-1615
YOM:
1939
Location:
Sylt Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed RAF Leuchars on a reconnaissance mission with four crew members on board. While approaching Sylt Island, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea some 300 metres offshore. A crew member was rescued and became PoW while three other occupants were killed.
Crew:
P/O D. G. Heaton-Nichols, pilot,
Sgt James Pearce, copilot, †
AC1 Albert Sill, †
AC1 Albert Thomason, gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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