Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Coltishall

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1942 at 0440 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7588
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Coltishall AFB
Norfolk
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 Wyton at 2243LT on July 28 on an operation to Hamburg. It was damaged by enemy action, after which the crew elected to land at RAF Coltishall. Upon landing at 0440LT, the bomber burst into flames and was destroyed. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
P/O J. Meredith,
Sgt Musgrove,
Sgt J. Buchanan,
Sgt J. Vincent,
Sgt R. F. Escreet,
Sgt W. W. Diggins,
F/Sgt Levesque.
Probable cause:
Damaged by enemy action.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Wyton

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1942 at 0445 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7504
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Wyton AFB
Huntingdonshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2230LT on July 26 on an operation to Hamburg. It was damaged by the German Flak and on return to base, it overshot the runway and crashed. All eight occupants evacuated safely. At the time of the accident, the visibility was very poor.
Crew:
P/O E. C. Patterson,
P/O J. F. Brown,
Sgt Oswin,
F/Sgt Gilson,
F/Sgt Lawrence,
Sgt Payne,
Sgt Hawthorne,
P/O Williams.
Probable cause:
Damaged by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Horst: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1942 at 0132 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7576
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Horst
Limburg
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2340LT on July 25 on an operation to Duisburg. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Horst. Three crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Wilbert Andrews Shoemaker, pilot, †
Sgt Phillip Denis Byrne, flight engineer, †
Sgt Herbert Arthur Robinson, navigator,
Sgt Daniel Leon Evans, bomb aimer,
Sgt Richard John Fletcher, wireless operator,
Sgt G. D. G. Muir, air gunner,
F/Sgt John Chisholm Fitzgerald, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Tjæreborg: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1942 at 2131 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7524
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Tjæreborg
Syddanmark
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 1840LT on an operation to Lübeck. Approaching the Danish coast, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea off Tjæreborg. Six crew members were killed while both air gunners became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Robert Lorraine Melville, pilot,
Sgt Dennis Robert Barrett, pilot,
Sgt Robinson Nicholls, flight engineer,
P/O Kenneth Arnott, navigator,
Sgt Henry James Ian Lockhart, wireless operator,
Sgt John Evan Francis Waylan, wireless operator,
Sgt George Alfred Donovan, air gunner,
Sgt Lancelot Charles Masfen, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Hartward

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1942 at 0215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N3757
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Hartward
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2305LT on June 29 on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Hartward. All seven crew members became PoW.
Crew:
S/L I. G. Richmond,
Sgt Bernard Basil Finn,
Sgt Archibald McLeod,
F/Sgt N. G. Potter,
Sgt Vincent Horace Rainbow,
P/O Francis Edward Scott,
F/O Richard William Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Nordhorn: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1942 at 0222 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9352
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Nordhorn
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 Wyton at 2315LT on June 19 on an operation to Emden. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Nordhorn, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Gordon John Hains, pilot,
Sgt Frederick George Spenceley, flight engineer,
Sgt James McIntosh McLaren, observer,
Sgt George Alexander Burrell, wireless operator,
Sgt John Theodore Heurtley, wireless operator,
Sgt John McGovern, air gunner,
F/Sgt David Rose, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Wyton

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1942 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6238
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Warboys - Wyton
Location:
Wyton AFB
Huntingdonshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane landed heavily on one wheel at RAF Wyton. The pilot attempted to go around when the port engine cut and the Blenheim crash landed. The pilot was injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur Harvey Rew, pilot.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I near Herkenbosch: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N3728
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Herkenbosch
Limburg
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 Wyton at 2348LT on June 2 on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Herkenbosch, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Andrew Jack Cowlrick, pilot,
Sgt George Nixon, flight engineer,
Sgt Norman Frederick Webber, observer,
Sgt Frederick Gordon Crighton, wireless operator,
Sgt Eric Edwards Hayes, wireless operator,
P/O John Davidson Weir, air gunner,
Sgt Albert Moorcroft, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Heligoland Island: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1942 at 0203 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7515
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Heligoland Island
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Wyton at 2255LT on May 29 on a mine laying operation off the Frisian Islands. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Heligoland Island. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Francis Kingsley Doyle,
Sgt William George Bond,
Sgt Frederick Arthur Morris,
F/O Frederick James Kennedy,
Sgt Ernest William McSparron,
Sgt Thomas Walter Soper,
Sgt Harry Doughty,
Sgt William Edmund Chambers.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Wyton

Date & Time: May 22, 1942 at 0210 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7536
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Wyton AFB
Huntingdonshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a local training sortie at RAF Wyton. Following an approach in poor visibility, the airplane overshot the runway and crashed into a ditch. All eight crew members evacuated safely and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
S/L R. S. Gilmour,
Sgt F. Lewin,
P/O R. H. Hardy,
P/O G. B. Strang,
Sgt Gough,
P/O C. G. S. Bain,
Sgt Fish,
Sgt Laundon.
Subscribe to Wyton AFB