Date & Time:
Oct 5, 1942 at 2140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ646
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Warboys at 1905LT on an operation to Aachen. Approaching the French coast, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. The airplane was struck by lightning, causing the left engine to stop. The crew decided to return to base but shortly later, the airplane was attacked by German fighters. Five crew members bailed out, one of them was killed. Alone on board, the pilot return to England and completed an emergency landing at Manston Airport where the airplane crash landed and was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/Lt Douglas Ronald Greenup, pilot,
F/Sgt Charles Wendell Austin, air gunner, †
P/O William Douglas,
P/O Frederick Purvis,
P/O Thomas Elphage Trotman,
W/O Victor Percival Youdell.
Crew:
F/Lt Douglas Ronald Greenup, pilot,
F/Sgt Charles Wendell Austin, air gunner, †
P/O William Douglas,
P/O Frederick Purvis,
P/O Thomas Elphage Trotman,
W/O Victor Percival Youdell.
Probable cause:
Struck by lightning and attacked by German fighters.
