Thorney Island AFB

The airplane departed RAF Newmarket at 2118LT on December 18 on an operation to Mannheim. While returning to base the following night, it ditched in the sea off Thorney Island. The pilot was killed and five other crew members were rescued.
Crew:
S/L Charles John Scott Dickins, pilot, †
P/O J. E. H. Marshall,
P/O P. I. W. Pemberton,
Sgt C. J. Fry,
Sgt C. T. S. Maunsell,
Sgt J. S. Gale.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 1900LT on an operation in the vicinity of Cape Gris-Nez, France. While returning to base in the evening, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the wireless became unserviceable and no D/F bearing could be obtained. The crew got lot but finally found an airfield and attempted landing on it, but on going round, the flarepath was extinguished and the pilot got no reply to his signals. The crew finally bailed out. Pilot said he had difficulty in reaching ripcord. All three crew survived but two were injured. The Blenheim crashed at 2115LT at Hall Farm, near Occold, bursting into flames.
Crew:
P/O P. E. Gibbs,
Sgt C. A. Oram,
Sgt Wood.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 1635LT on an operation to Gent. It failed to return and it is believed that it probably crashed into the North Sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Roland Ernest Maurer, pilot,
Sgt Ian Stuart Macaulay, observer,
Sgt Benjamin Leslie Bembridge, wireless operator and air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 0405LT to attack German positions in Cap Gris-Nez. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Halinghen. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
PO/O William Frederick Lewis, pilot,
Sgt Ivor Charles Greening, observer,
Sgt John Stephen Peckham, wireless operator and air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 1235LT on a maritime patrol mission. While cruising along the Belgian coast, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea. All four crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Francis Driscoll Flinn,
Sgt Francis Arthur O'Malley,
W/O Alexander Mitchell Buchan Robertson,
Sgt Stanley Walter Shirley.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island on a mine laying operation of Brittany. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea 2 km south of Pendruc. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt John Reginald Bendell, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Kenneth Woolnough, pilot,
Sgt Charles Frederick Masson, radio operator,
Sgt John Allan MacNaughton, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island on an operation over northern France. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Le Vast. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Victor Palmer, pilot,
Sgt Ernest Edward Wright, observer,
Sgt Douglas Allan Walters, wireless operator and air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 2300LT on September 17 on an operation to Cherbourg. Approaching the target at low altitude, the crew dropped its torpedo then initiated a turn to the east to the Val de Saire when the airplane was shot down by the German Flak. Out of control, the airplane collided with an electric pole at Hôtel Giffard Street then crashed onto a house located in Bourbourg, in the suburb of Cherbourg. There was no explosion nor fire. All four crew members as well as seven people on the ground were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Atherton, pilot,
P/O Ruthven Arnold Macfarlane, pilot,
Sgt John Leslie Feather, wireless operator,
Sgt Cyril James Harvey, wireless operator.
Those killed on the ground were:
Albertine Lecouey,
Marie Burnel and five members of families Auvray and Burnel.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island to attack a convoy of invasion barges and support vessels located in the English Channel, 8 miles off Calais France. Approaching the target, it was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Alexander William Valentine Green,
P/O Peter Claude Wickings-Smith,
Sgt Reginald Douglas Haig Watts.

The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island to attack a convoy of invasion barges and support vessels located in the English Channel, 8 miles off Calais France. Approaching the target, it was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/L Frederick William Flood,
P/O Norman Basil Shorrocks,
Sgt Bruce Robertson Sharp.