Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-1-FO Liberator in Ballyshannon: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1944 at 0920 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-50721
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Goose Bay – Belfast
MSN:
2606
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a ferry flight from Goose Bay to Belfast-Nutts Corner Airport. While approaching Ireland, the navigator informed the captain that the fuel reserve seems to be insufficient to reach the destination while the radio operator was unable to contact ground. The captain was approaching St Angelo but the airfield was closed due to fog and clouds so he decided to fly back to find a clear zone near Ballyshannon for an emergency landing. After touchdown, the bomber hit a concrete wall and was wrecked. Eight crew members were injured while two others were killed.
Crew:
2/Lt Arthur H. Dittmer,
2/Lt Marvin J. Reddick,
2/Lt Arnold A. H. Grueber,
2/Lt Wayne R. Davis,
S/Sgt Lester M. Clark,
Sgt Edward J. Friedl,
Sgt Carlos F. Maestas, †
Sgt George H. Smith,
Cpl James O. E. Harvey,
Cpl Riley W. Cannon. †
Source: http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/42-50721.htm
Probable cause:
Forced landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Rosslare: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1944 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DJ639
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Carew Cheriton - Carew Cheriton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training mission on behalf of the 10th Radio School based in RAF Carew Cheriton. While cruising off the Irish coast in good weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and dove into the sea. The crew of a fishing boat went to the scene and was able to recover one body while all three other occupants were lost.
Crew (10th Radio School):
F/L R. I. Johnson,
F/S R. J. Tudehope,
F/S S. J. H Young,
AC2 R. R. Carr.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III near Donegal: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1944 at 2330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DW110
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Pembroke Dock - Pembroke Dock
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
13
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight and left RAF Pembroke Dock in the afternoon for a 13 hours mission. Aircraft was scheduled to overfly the Lake Lough Erne but for unknown reason, was off the initial track and was flying over a mountainous area in the Donegal County. By night, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Blue Stak at a height of 2,219 feet. Rescuers arrived on site, some 200 feet from the top, and were able to evacuate six injured crew members while all seven other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lieutenant Howard Charles Sheffield Armstrong, pilot, †
Lieutenant Maurice Leonard Gillingham, pilot, †
Maurice Vincent Wareing, copilot, †
Joseph George Trull, navigator,
John Bruce Richardson, flight engineer,
Sergeant C. S. Hobbs, air gunner,
Sergeant Cyril Robinson Greenwood, †
Sergeant Frederick George Green, gunner, †
Sergeant John Ernest Parsons, †
Sergeant Frederick Tom Copp, flight engineer, †
Sergeant James Kenneth Gilchrist, rear gunner,
Sergeant A. Gowens.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Bundoran: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1944 at 1840 LT
Operator:
Registration:
LK704
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Tiree - Tiree
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a meteorological mission (called MERCER) over the Atlantic Ocean and left the RAF Tiree in Scotland during the day. After completing two circuits, the crew was returning to his base and while passing over Ireland, the aircraft was too low by night and hit a cliff near Bundoran, Donegal County. All eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lloyd Joyce Upshall, pilot,
Clarence Loree Scott, pilot,
Norman Glyn Gzowski, navigator,
Vladimir Adamic, wireless operator,
Frederick Edward Dawson, wireless operator,
Frank Ash, wireless operator,
Frederick Lewarne Eric Hussey, flight engineer,
Donald Parr Hewitson, meteorological observer.

Crash of a Vickers 467 Wellington XIV on Mt Brandon: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HF208
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances on the slope of Mt Brandon, Munster. All six Polish crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Klemens Adamowicz,
Sgt/C Stanislaw Czerniawski,
Sgt/C Pawel Kowalewicz,
Sgt/C Naftali Hirsz Pawel Kuflik,
Pvt Kazimierz Lugowski,
Cpl Wincenty Pietrzak.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-60-DL near Killarney: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1943 at 0700 LT
Operator:
Registration:
43-30719
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Port Lyautey – Saint Eval
MSN:
13870
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising in low visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Cnoc na Peiste (988 metres high) located southwest of Killarney. All 5 occupants were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Frederick V. Brossard,
2nd Lt Lawrence E. Goodin,
S/Sgt Wesley T. Holstlaw,
2nd Lt John L. Scharf,
Sgt Arthur A. Schwartz .
Probable cause:
It is believed that the accident was caused by a navigational error on part of the crew who failed to change his heading after leaving the Portuguese airspace and while flying over the Bay of Biscay. The crew was assuming he was flying over Cornwall when in reality, the aircraft was flying over south of Ireland.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow II in Inishowen Head: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K7005
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit a mountain slope located near Inishowen Head, Donegal County. Four crew members were killed while the fifth occupant was seriously injured. Visibility was low at the time of the accident.
Crew (271st Squadron):
P/O Carol Herbert Brown, †
P/O James William Swaby,
F/Sgt Arthur Bain Shaw, †
LAC Albert Edward James, †
LAC John Thurston Taberner. †

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III off Donegal: 11 killed

Date & Time: Nov 13, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DD863
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Enniskillen - Enniskillen
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a convoy escort mission when he encountered engine problems. The captain informed ground he was attempting to return to RAF Enniskillen when the seaplane crashed into the sea off Donegal. Due to rough sea, SAR operations were abandoned few days later and no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (423rd Squadron):
F/Lt A. F. Brazenor,
F/Sgt S. G. Brockway,
F/Sgt R. J. Money,
Sgt H. W. Fell,
Sgt H. E. E. Attwood,
Sgt M. F. Flynn,
Sgt D. Bigmore,
Sgt L. Morgan,
F/Sgt R. W. Stiff,
P/O R. H. Wilson
F/O H. B. Pharis.
Probable cause:
Unknown engine problems.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Donegal: 9 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FP120
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training mission off Donegal, Ireland. In flight, the float plane exploded and crashed into the sea. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Phillip Bacon,
Sgt Cyril Barraclough,
F/O Douglas Haig Disney,
F/O Kenneth Hipwell,
Sgt James Male,
F/Lt Edward Earle Muffitt,
Sgt Charles Edward Poots,
Sgt Harold Edwin Scarman,
Sgt Albert Upton.
Probable cause:
Without certainty, RAF Command declared the crash could be caused by the explosion of a bomb stored in the cargo compartment (depth charges).

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland III on Brandon Peak: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1943 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DD848
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Castle Archdale - Castle Archdale
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Following a maritime patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean, the crew was returning to his base in RAF Castle Archdale. In early morning, while flying over Munster province in marginal weather conditions and low visibility, the seaplane hit the Brandon Peak and crashed. Eight crew members were killed while three others were wounded.
Crew (422nd Squadron):
F/O Guy Nelson Wilkinson, pilot 10.