Region
Europe

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Diest

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1942 at 0055 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ877
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Location:
Diest
Flemish Brabant
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Snaith at 2035LT on September 16 on an operation to Essen. Shortly after midnight, while returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Diest. All six crew members parachuted to safety, five evaded and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Samuel Oliver Randle, pilot,
Sgt Robert Frost, air gunner,
Sgt W. Brazill,
F/Sgt W. W. Dreschsler,
Sgt Norman Maxwell Graham,
Sgt D. C. Mounts.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1942 at 0034 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9164
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Lakenheath - Lakenheath
Location:
Tongrinne
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lakenheath at 2047LT on September 16 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Tongrinne. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Maurice J. Kynaston, pilot,
Sgt Eric D. Booty, flight engineer,
Sgt W. Walker, observer,
Sgt John A. Waterman, observer,
Sgt John Collumbell, wireless operator,
Sgt Alfred C. Rault, air gunner,
Sgt Ronald A. Russell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Oostduinkerke: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ987
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Finningley - Finningley
Location:
Oostduinkerke
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Finningley at 2022LT on September 10 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea off Oostduinkerke. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Richard Edgar Bertram, pilot,
F/Sgt Cleveland John Eggleton, navigator,
P/O John Robert Agar, air gunner,
F/Sgt Frank John Gallagher,
F/Sgt Richard Melvin George.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Sart-Saint-Laurent: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1942 at 0307 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3745
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Location:
Sart-Saint-Laurent
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Snaith at 2040LT on September 8 on an operation to Frankfurt. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a wooded area near Sart-Saint-Laurent. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John Glaves, pilot,
Sgt Edward Isaac Sofaer, navigator,
Sgt William Moylan, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Frank Raymond Thomas, air gunner,
Sgt Albert George Tillett, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Sclayn: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1942 at 2330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7782
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Sclayn
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 1935LT on an operation to Frankfurt. In the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Sclayn. Three crew members were killed, two became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
F/Lt Philip Hampden Tippetts-Aylmer, pilot, †
P/O Edgar William Thomas Gibbs, air gunner, †
F/Sgt George Reginald Yeates, air gunner, †
W/O Thomas Speers Brandon,
Sgt Eric Theodore Hazell Hodge,
Sgt R. Brown,
Sgt J. A. Winterbottom.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L.414 Hudson V off Middelkerke: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
AM701
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bircham Newton - Bircham Newton
MSN:
414-2783
YOM:
1941
Location:
Middelkerke
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bircham Newton on an operation to Dunkirk. Approaching the Belgian coast, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Middelkerke. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O James Edward Wilkes, pilot,
F/Sgt Benson Arnold Wilson Coutts,
P/O Charles Rootham Foskett,
F/Sgt Benjamin Leo Kohn, wireless operator.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Warnant: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1942 at 0208 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3711
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Location:
Warnant
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2253LT on September 2 on an operation to Karlsruhe. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Warnant, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/Cdr Archibald Philip Walsh, pilot,
F/O Harry William Thompson, observer,
F/Sgt Frederick William Cassidy, wireless operator,
P/O John Handel Freestone, wireless operator,
P/O Gerald Charles Hart, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Tinlot: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1942 at 0159 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
R5763
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Tinlot
Liege
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2314LT on September 2 on an operation to Karlsruhe. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Tinlot. Three crew members were killed, three others became PoW and a seventh evaded.
Crew:
P/O Ronald George Lewis, pilot, †
Sgt William Stewart Collins, air gunner, †
Sgt Robert George Reynolds, †
Sgt J. H. Pearson,
Sgt Dennis William Cane,
Sgt Thomas William Hayes,
Sgt Edward Bradshaw.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Lesve: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1942 at 0147 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT487
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Location:
Lesve
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2228LT on September 2 on an operation to Karlsruhe. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Lesve, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt Lawrence David Hillier, pilot,
F/Sgt George William Roberts, pilot,
F/Sgt Bernard Arthur McGrath, navigator,
Sgt Alexander Douglas Muir, flight engineer,
P/O Kenneth Ederic Michael Mitchell, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Arthur Colin Ewing, wireless operator,
Sgt Edwin Charles Alfred Coules, air gunner,
Sgt Edward John Cutting, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Sterrebeek: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1942 at 0413 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N3714
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Downham Market - Downham Market
Location:
Sterrebeek
Flemish Brabant
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Downham Market at 2346LT on September 1st on an operation to Saarbrücken. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Sterrebeek, east of Brussels. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Keith Forbes Ryan, pilot, †
Sgt James Vincent Owen Fogg, flight engineer,
P/O Edward Grey Ruegg, navigator,
Sgt Thomas McCord Campbell, wireless operator, †
Sgt George Ernest Reid, air gunner, †
Sgt Stanley Archibald Willis, air gunner, †
Sgt Frank Birch, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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