Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I at RAF Waddington

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1942 at 1527 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
L7538
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Waddington AFB
Lincolnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training exercise at RAF Waddington with a crew of seven on board. For unknown reasons, the airplane landed at too high a speed. After touchdown, it was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All seven crew members escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew (97th Squadron):
Sgt J. A. Rowan Parry +6.
Probable cause:
Excessive speed upon landing.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I on Shiermonnikoog Island: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1942 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD915
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Schiermonnikoog Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1816LT on a mine laying operation off the Dutch Frisian Islands. While approaching the Dutch coast, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak and crash landed on a beach on Schiermonnikoog Island. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Robert Kee, pilot,
Sgt William Henry John Rutledge, navigator,
Sgt H. Baker, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. R. B. Adams, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Katwijk aan Zee: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1942 at 1737 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AT134
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Katwijk aan Zee
South Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1445LT on 'Operation Fuller'. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea some 7 km west of Katwijk aan Zee. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L George Lawlor Bernays Harris, pilot,
F/O Hubert Harvey Miller, observer,
Sgt Percy Vernon Edwin Rothery, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Arthur Havelock Brunt, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
P4400
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
North Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1337LT on 'Operation Fuller'. It failed to return to base and is believed to have been shot down by a German fighter and to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea, maybe some 10 km west of Katwijk aan Zee.
Crew:
P/O John Robert Topping, pilot,
Sgt Frederick William Ashfield, observer,
F/O Edward Graham Fowler, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Henry Mate, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Sexbierum

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942 at 2230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AT130
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Sexbierum
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1725LT on an operation to Emden. In the late evening, it was shot down by the German Flak and crash landed in a field in Sexbierum. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Victor Thomas Lawrence Wood, pilot,
Sgt Desmond Delargy Grealy, observer,
Sgt David Gardiner Semple, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Lewis Bott, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I off Brest: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941 at 1403 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
R5795
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 0934LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea some 7 km off Brest. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt John Robert Conn, †
Sgt George Gardiner Fell, †
Sgt Morton Ralph Heinish, †
P/O Neville George Stokes, †
Sgt Isaac Hewitt,
Sgt Gwynne Pryce Thomas,
Sgt Thomas Michael Wade.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Camaret-sur-Mer: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD868
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Camaret-sur-Mer
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1830LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Camaret-sur-Mer. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Esler Hall,
Sgt John George Henderson,
P/O Therald Lionel Kaschula,
Sgt Edward Wade.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE196
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1300LT on a mine laying operation off Brest. Believed to have crashed into the sea off the target area. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Arthur Howard Gumbley,
F/O Harry Jeffrey Jeffcoat,
Sgt Leonard Dalton Leggett,
W/Cdr Sidney Trevor Misselbrook.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Honeybourne

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1941 at 0010 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD933
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Honeybourne
Worcestershire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1710LT on November 27 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel and crash landed in a field located near the Honeybourne railway station. All four crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt B. D. Moss,
Sgt Ross,
Sgt Seagoe,
Sgt Hackett.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

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

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941 at 2003 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE377
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Dunkirk
Nord
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1730LT on an operation to Dunkirk. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Tom Copsey,
P/O Walter John Frost,
P/O John Lindsay,
P/O Francis Leonard Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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