France

Operator:

Registration:

V6430

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Portreath - Portreath

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 0807LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
crew:
S/L George Stephen King, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Eckersley Austen-Johnson, observer,
Sgt Denison Owen, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Saint-Nazaire

Date & Time: May 13, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

V5997

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Portreath - Portreath

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 0811LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Frank Henry Miller, pilot,
Sgt Norman Joseph Ingram, observer,
Sgt William Eric Whiteman, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-5 in Nantes

Date & Time: May 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

MSN:

3966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crashed for unknown reasons upon landing. Two crew members were injured.
Crew:
Fw Friedrich Dreyer, mechanic,
Uffz Bernhard Schonaker, radio operator +2.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I in Caen: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

W6494

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

9499

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a reconnaissance mission over Saint-Nazaire. Approaching Caen, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near the airport of Caen-Carpiquet. Both pilots were killed and two others occupants became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Dermot Ezra Read Ellwood, pilot, †
F/Sgt Gerald Thomas Hardwick, pilot, †
W/O William Bennett,
W/O George Alexander Duncan Ritchie.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Camaret-sur-Mer: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1941 at 1525 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

V6379

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Portreath - Portreath

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 1330LT on an anti-shipping operation. It was last seen at a height of 200 feet off Camaret-sur-Mer, attacking a 1,000 ton vessel then crashed into the sea with its left engine on fire. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Richard Langebear,
F/Sgt Alec Kenneth Newbery,
P/O Jack Richard Stone.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Boulogne-sur-Mer: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T1874

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 2200LT on an operation to Boulogne-sur-Mer. It crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching the target, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
S/L Gerald Charles Neil Close, pilot,
F/O Frederick George Roberts, observer,
Sgt Gordon William Richards, wireless operator.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Nantes: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R1374

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Newton - Newton

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Newton at 2230LT on May 7 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. It crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Nantes. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Frederick Henry Savage, pilot,
Sgt John Michael Fulford, pilot,
Sgt Wray William Heywood, observer,
Sgt Peter Verrall Read, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard Frank Harris, wireless operator,
Sgt John Lewis Hart, air gunner.

Crash of a Hinekel He.111H-5 in Hénanbihen

Date & Time: May 5, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1G+??

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

2917

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in a field and burst into flames near Hénanbihen. All four crew members were injured.
Crew.
Oblt Eberhard Strauch, observer +3.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Boulogne-sur-Mer: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T1825

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: