Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V off Skagen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1943 at 2328 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V
Operator:
Registration:
DG244
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Skagen
Nordjylland
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 1950LT on Operation Vega 3 (Secret Intelligence Service), heading for Norway. Passing over Denmark, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Skagerrak, some 30 km northwest of Skagen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Herbert Lloyd Wynne, pilot,
F/Sgt Raymond Robert Rolfe,
Sgt Thomas Bell Colwell,
F/O William Harry Franklin,
Sgt James Cornelius Insole,
Sgt Eric William Foster,
P/O Thomas William Challoner, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Store Heddinge: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943 at 2142 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT620
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Store Heddinge
Sjælland
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 1750LT on Operation Slate (Special Operations Executive), heading for Poland and a dropping zone code named Wrona 614. Outbound, the airplane was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Store Hedding, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leslie Rowland Smith, pilot,
Sgt Horace Robert Harrap, copilot,
Sgt Arthur Cyril Sixsmith, flight engineer,
Sgt Colin Frederick Chambers, navigator,
Sgt Donald Robb Ross, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Eugene Shadrack Masson, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas Mairs, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Dürnbach: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V
Operator:
Registration:
DG245
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Dürnbach
Bavaria
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 Tempsford at 2000LT on Operation Irridium (Secret Intelligence Service), heading for Czechoslovakia. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Dürnbach, south of Munich, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt Alfred Ellis Prior, pilot,
F/O Alfred John Kingham, pilot,
Sgt Felix James Mowles, flight engineer,
F/O Richard Winter Taylor, navigator,
P/O George McWilliam, wireless operator,
Sgt Francis Douglas Bell, air gunner,
Sgt John Henry Kempton, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Munich: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
BB281
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Munich
Bavaria
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford on Operation Bronze (Special Operation Executive), heading for Czechoslovakia. It crashed in unknown circumstances near Munich and was destroyed. Seven crew members were killed and one was seriously injured. The only survivor died from injuries sustained on April 11.
Crew:
S/L Christopher Francis Gibson, pilot,
W/O Douglas Clark Lisson, pilot,
Sgt Malcolm John Hudson, flight engineer,
F/Sgt John Stanley Rigden, navigator,
W/O Maurice Tallier Peter Myers, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Arthur Stokes, wireless operator,
Sgt Harold John Sharood, air gunner,
Sgt Leo Peter Ward, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Fawley: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V
Operator:
Registration:
DG283
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Fawley
Buckinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 1957LT on Operation Director 34 (Special Operations Executive) heading for France. It suffered an engine failure and crashed in Fawley, bursting into flames. Two crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
F/O G. A. Osborn, pilot,
Sgt Stevens,
F/O D. Thornton,
Sgt R. Poltock,
Sgt Hugh Shearer, wireless operator, †
Sgt Barrie Lincoln Crane, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Villeperdue

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943 at 2345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1012
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Villeperdue
Indre-et-Loire
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford on Operation Burgandy/Director 24 Buttercup 2 (Special Operations Executive). The purpose of the mission was to drop the agent Georges Broussine who should bail out over Lyon. While cruising at an altitude of 500 feet, the airplane was hit by the German Flak and crash landed near Villeperdue, some 20 km south of Tours. All eight crew members became PoW while the passenger evaded.
Crew:
P/O Peter Kingsford-Smith, pilot,
F/O Robert Charles Hogg, mechanic,
Sgt Frederick Ronald Jerome, navigator,
F/Sgt Arnold Frederick Augustus Dawkins, bomb aimer,
Sgt Harry James Long, radio operator,
Sgt Eric James Ramm, air gunner,
Sgt Douglas Robinson, air gunner,
Sgt Joseph Davison, air gunner.
Passenger:
Georges Broussine.
Probable cause:
Hit by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Guichen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1943 at 2230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V
Operator:
Registration:
DG285
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Guichen
Ille-et-Vilaine
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford on a Special Operation Executive, Operation Ker/Crab. After passing Rennes, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Guichen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Harry Sanford Readhead, pilot,
P/O Ronald Gray, copilot,
Sgt Stewart McKenzie Anderson, flight engineer,
P/O William Wallace Roy, navigator,
F/Sgt William Wilson, wireless operator,
Sgt Leslie Percy Manning, air gunner,
F/Sgt Hedley Geoffrey Martins, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Punthorst: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1942 at 0103 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7775
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
Location:
Punthorst
Overijssel
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Tempsford at 2245LT on December 22 on a Nordpol Spiel operation Marrow 12. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Punthorst. Six crew members were killed and two became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Gervase Francis Benton Newport-Tinley, pilot, †
Sgt Ben Michael Pick, pilot, †
Sgt Brenard Stearman Nixon, flight engineer, †
W/O Charles Anthony Howard, navigator, †
F/Sgt Henry Charles Taylor, wireless operator, †
Sgt Cyril Clifford Hayes, air gunner, †
Sgt W. H. Bloxham, air gunner,
Sgt Francis Otterson Tierney, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6629
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Tempsford - Tempsford
MSN:
2063
YOM:
1941
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 Tempsford at 2210LT on November 22 on a Special Operation Executive (Operation Periwig 3 and Printo) to an airfield located in Belgium. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Gordon Llewelyn Harrison, pilot,
F/Sgt John Alistair Hey, pilot,
Sgt Richard William Andrews, navigator,
Sgt Herbert Metcalf, wireless operator,
Sgt Cyril Raphael Kenzie, air gunner,
Sgt Harry Moxon, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Armação de Pêra

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1942 at 0915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z9160
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Gibraltar - Tempsford
MSN:
2294
YOM:
1941
Location:
Armação de Pêra
Algarve
Country:
Portugal
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a transit flight from Gibraltar to RAF Tempsford. Persistent engine problems forced the crew to turn back from a position off Cape Finistère and at 0915LT, the airplane force landed near Armação de Pêra, 40 km northwest of Faro. All four crew members were interned until 17 January 1943. The airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine problems in flight.
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