Zone
Suffolk

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV at RAF Wattisham

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1478
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Location:
Wattisham AFB
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 2350LT on September 1st on an operation to Saarbrücken. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the airplane crashed while trying to land at RAF Wattisham. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt R. J. Dolan,
Sgt P. Bond,
Sgt S. J. Shippen,
Sgt T. D. McEown,
Sgt W. E. Moore.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Kevelaer: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1942 at 0035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6432
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Kevelaer
North Rhine-Westphalia
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 Wattisham at 2252LT on July 31 on an operation to Venlo Airport. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Kevelaer, about 40 km northwest of Duisburg. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr Christopher Hastie Jones, pilot,
F/Sgt Kenneth Malcolm Waylett, observer,
Sgt Austen Douglas Evans, wireless operator air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Sengwarden: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942 at 0112 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z7344
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Sengwarden
Lower Saxony
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 Wattisham at 2125LT on July 28 on an intruder operation to Germany. Approaching Wilhelmshaven, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Sengwarden, some 8 km northwest of Wilhelmshaven. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Swante Oliver Hill, pilot,
W/O Donald Ross McKinnon, observer,
Sgt Derek Bernard Williams, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I near Vechta: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 24, 1942 at 0146 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z7428
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Vechta
Lower Saxony
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 Wattisham at 2245LT on an operation to Vechta Airfield. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a pasture located east of the city. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Fred Martyn Thorne, pilot,
P/O Bryan Manssen Cook, observer,
P/O William Smith Blackadder, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Poringland: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1942 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z1304
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Poringland
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham on an air test mission, carrying three crew members and one civilian meteorologist. En route, it collided with the pylon of the Poringland Radar Station and crashed. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
P/O Phillip Henry Lowther, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Custance Ellis, observer,
Sgt George Bernard Crawford, wireless operator and air gunner.
Passenger:
Mr. Kenneth Thomas Tagg, meteorologist.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Woodbridge

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942 at 0330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V5503
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Woodbridge
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham at 0028LT on an operation to Deelen Airfield in the Netherlands. It was badly shot about overt the target area and while returning to base, it crashed in an open field located 5 km north of Woodbridge. All three crew members were rescued.
Crew:
P/O L. Rule,
Sgt Bradshaw,
Sgt Gatling.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Amstelveen: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1942 at 0118 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6071
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Amstelveen
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham at 0015LT on an operation to Deelen Airfield in the Netherlands. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Amsterdamse Bos in Amstelveen. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Peter Cyprain Coulthard, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Dennis Meech, observer,
P/O Lyn George Lloyd Ward, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Wattisham

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1942 at 0305 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6371
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Wattisham AFB
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was performing a local solo training flight at RAF Wattisham. Upon landing at night, the airplane overshot and crashed. The pilot was rescued.
Crew:
F/Sgt G. F. Wallace, pilot.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
Z7372
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham at 0020LT on an intruder operation to the St-Truiden Airfield, Belgium. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Crew:
Sgt William Edward Furness,
P/O Robin William Morton,
Sgt Thomas Stanley Ross.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Aartselaar: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1942 at 0236 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
T2254
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Location:
Aartselaar
Antwerp
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham at 2350LT on June 25 on an intruder operation to Venlo Airfield. Ovedr Belgium, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Aartselaar. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Peter Huxly Looker, pilot,
F/Sgt William George O'Neil, observer,
Sgt Gordon William Cox, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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