United Kingdom | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was performing a local training flight at RAF Thorney Island. On final approach, one (maybe two) engine lost power. The airplane stalled and crashed in shallow water short of runway. All three crew members escaped with minor injuries and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew (86th Squadron):
Sgt John Murray,
P/O Ronald Harwood,
P/O Alfred W. Dungate.

Probable cause:

Loss of power on one or two engine on final approach.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Glenesk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943 at 2215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD792

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Leuchars - Leuchars

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The airplane departed RAF Leuchars on an operation along the Norwegian coast. While returning to base in the late evening, the crew encountered limited visibility when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Glenesk. Three crew members were killed and one was seriously injured.
Crew:
Crew:
F/O Philip James Hill, pilot, †
P/O William John Rees, navigator, †
Sgt R. A. Smithers, wireless operator, †
Sgt R. K. Spohn, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Bwlchgwyn: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943 at 2040 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

LA766

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tilstock - Tilstock

MSN:

2839

YOM:

1942

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The airplane departed RAF Tilstock on a cross country exercise. En route, it went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances near Bwlchgwyn. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O David Rozell Roberts, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Edgar Aaron,
P/O Ronald James Binham,
Sgt Alexander Taylor Strachan,
Sgt David Blackburn Lister,
F/Sgt Robert Smeaton,
Sgt Michael John Buckle,
F/Sgt William Henry Stewart.

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

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943 at 1550 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK405

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Church Broughton - Church Broughton

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The airplane departed RAF Church Broughton on a training mission including landings, circuits and single engine manoeuvre. About 15 minutes into the flight, the pupil pilot went through the drill in readiness to shut down the port engine but inadvertently feathered the starboard propeller, causing a complete loss of power. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an field, bursting into flames. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Ralph Holland Tye, instructor pilot,
Sgt William Raymond Wearne, student pilot,
Sgt Ian Ross McDonald, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Kerr, wireless operator,
Sgt John Stoppard Eccles, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The pilot under training mistakenly feathered the starboard propeller after the left engine was shut down while completing a single engine exercise.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I at RAF Leuchars: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AN166

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Leuchars - Leuchars

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The airplane departed RAF Leuchars on an operation along the Norwegian coast. Shortly after takeoff, it went out of control and crashed near the airbase. A crew was killed.
Crew:
Sgt S. A. Vincent, pilot,
F/Sgt A. L. W. Watt, navigator,
Sgt K. C. Applekemp, wireless operator,
Sgt Douglas Thorne Martin, air gunner. †

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.41 Albemarle I near RAF High Ercall

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.41 Albemarle

Operator:

Registration:

P1447

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Shawbury - Shawbury

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The crew was performing a training exercise out from RAF Shawbury. En route, one of the engine failed, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in an open field north of RAF High Ercall and was damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V off RAF Silloth: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AM863

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Silloth - Silloth

MSN:

414-2945

YOM:

1941

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While on a training sortie out from RAF Silloth, the twin engine airplane failed to return to base and is crashed in unknown circumstances into the Solway Firth. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Edward Alexander van den Bogaert, pilot,
Cpl Bernard Corporaal,
F/O Frederik Schut,
Lac Antonius Franciscus Post.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Brampton: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1943 at 2237 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

ED394

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe

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The crew departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 1907LT on a cross country exercise. Unable to return to base, the crew diverted to RAF Crosby on Eden (Carlisle). On approach at night, the pilot encountered problems and initiated a go around procedure. Doing so, the airspeed dropped too low, causing the airplane to stall and to crash in a field. It slid for about 800 metres before coming to rest against a barn, bursting into flames. Five crew members were killed and two others were seriously injured. The barn was destroyed by fire and several animals were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leslie Alfred Smith, pilot, †
W/O Guy Sunley, navigator, †
Sgt Thomas Tommy Harrower, flight engineer, †
Sgt Struan A, Langley-Ellis, observer, †
Sgt Herbert John Huxham, air gunner, †
Sgt George Alfred Hodgson, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas Arthur Williams, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near RAF Rufforth

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1943 at 1617 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

DT622

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rufforth - Rufforth

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The airplane departed RAF Rufforth at 1612LT on a mine laying operation. Five minutes later, it crashed about 4 km south of the airbase and was destroyed. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
F/Lt A. Woolnough, pilot,
Sgt S. H. C. Watts,
P/O L. Kerr,
Sgt C. Ward,
Sgt A. S. Gosling,
Sgt W. R. Binnington,
Sgt W. Edmond, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to the inadvertent lowering of the bomb-doors.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV in Dunmoor Hill: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Operator:

Registration:

R1535

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1759LT on a mine laying operation off the Frisian Islands. It was badly shot about by enemy fire and later crashed in Dunmoor Hill. Four crew members were killed and one was injured.
Crew:
F/O T. Tyrala, pilot, †
F/O Tadeusz Włodmierz Bronisław Sokolinski, †
Sgt J. Pasierski, †
Sgt E. Tabaczynski, †
Sgt J. A. Korczynski, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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