Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I at RAF Waddington

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1943 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7286
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
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 airplane departed RAF Swinderby at 0916LT on a navigation training sortie. While cruising at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the right engine caught fire. The captain decided to divert to RAF Waddington to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest. All seven crew members (1660 OCU) escaped unhurt.
Probable cause:
The flame traps burned in flight, causing the right engine to catch fire.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Lorient: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1943 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4832
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
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 Waddington at 1802LT on an operation to Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Lorient. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Desmond Skinner, pilot,
Sgt John Hunter, mechanic,
Sgt Harold Theodore Waddell, navigator,
Sgt Alan Knight, radio operator,
Sgt George Taylor Vincent, bomb aimer,
Sgt Arthur Howells, air gunner,
F/Sgt Raymond Walton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I into the Bay of Biscay: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED309
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Bay of Biscay
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington in the evening on an operation to Lorient. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into the Bay of Biscay or maybe The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O John Whitla Millar, pilot,
W/O Harry Gordon Black,
W/O Kenneth Mitchell Perkins,
Sgt Leslie Harold Curtis,
Sgt Robert William Drury,
F/Sgt William Wilson Scrimgeour,
Sgt Alfred Leslie Bond, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Luyksgestel: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1943 at 2100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4819
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Luyksgestel
North Brabant
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 Waddington at 1818LT on an operation to Cologne. In unknown circumstances, it collided with a RAF Halifax registered W7882 also on an operation to Cologne with a crew of seven on board. Both airplanes crashed in Luyksgestel and were destroyed. All 14 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Ronald Hordon, pilot,
W/O Edward Charles Lawrence,
Sgt Frank Reginald Checketts,
Sgt Ian Craig Traill,
Sgt Lisle Cox,
Sgt Phillip Bernard Copp,
Sgt Edward George Harrold, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III near Vechta: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1943 at 0324 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED477
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Vechta
Lower Saxony
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 Waddington at 2349LT on January 30 on an operation to Hamburg. Passing south of Bremen, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in the vicinity of Vechta. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Jack Findlay Thomas, pilot,
Sgt Bryan Milton Swallow, pilot,
Sgt Stanley Frederick McLean, flight engineer,
Sgt John Murtagh, navigator,
Sgt William John Veysey, wireless operator,
Sgt Alfred Walter Hover, air gunner,
F/Sgt Laurence Alfred Morgan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Hawnby Hill: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED481
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 2350LT on January 30 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, the crew was instructed to divert to RAF Leeming. Few minutes later, out of fuel, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed at Hawnby Hill, near Northallerton. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Frank Goheen Nelson, pilot,
Sgt Allan McKeen, flight engineer,
Sgt George Francis Done, navigator,
Sgt Alan Arthur Frederick Williams, navigator,
Sgt Henry Summers Jones, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arthur William Butcher, air gunner,
Sgt Walter George Murton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Waddington: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1943 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
Z8896
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Cottesmore - Waddington
Location:
Waddington AFB
Lincolnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Cottesmore at 0945LT on a training flight to RAF Waddington. On approach, the pilot initiated a turn to the left to reach the airfield when the port engine lost power. The airplane stalled and crashed near the airbase, bursting into flames. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Douglas Joseph Farrell, pilot,
Sgt Frank James Emberson,
Sgt Gordon Cornelius Nielsen,
Sgt Malcolm McMillan,
Sgt Richard Badcock.
Probable cause:
Loss of power on the left engine on final approach.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Bahnhof Kleinkummerfeld: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1943 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4761
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Bahnhof Kleinkummerfeld
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Waddington at 1720LT on an operation to Berlin. Passing over Neumünster at night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Bahnhof Kleinkummerfeld, some 7 km southeast of Neumünster. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
P/O Anderson Storey, pilot,
Sgt Harold Claude Griffin, flight engineer,
F/O Gordon Hunt McMillan, navigator,
Sgt Robert Francis Matthews, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Ralph Calasanctis Morris, wireless operator,
Sgt Frederick William Cater, air gunner,
Sgt Albert Clavey Spear, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I into the North Sea: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED436
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1656LT on an operation to Berlin. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt John George Bruce Chilvers, pilot,
F/O Charles Broadbent Haslam,
Sgt Thomas William Jones,
Sgt Andrew McCabe,
Sgt Bernard Naylor,
Sgt Leslie Whiteside,
F/Sgt Florian Mercier Lacasse, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster near Zerbst: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4379
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Zerbst
Saxony-Anhalt
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1654LT on an operation to Berlin. It crashed in unknown circumstances 3-4 km north of Zerbst and was destroyed. Two crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Eldon Galbraith, observer, †
Sgt Joe Herbert Wejies De Silva, air gunner, †
Sgt Andrew Gordon Carswell,
Sgt Claude Earlton Clemens,
Sgt Henry Campbell Hipson,
Sgt James Wyllie Martin,
Sgt Edward James Phillips.
Subscribe to Waddington AFB