Bombing | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2315LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Over Germany, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed nearby the Bad Zwischenahn Airfield. Six crew members were killed and a seventh occupant became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Robert Earle Archibald, pilot, †
Sgt Peter Holmes, flight engineer,
Sgt Ian Frank Pratt, navigator, †
F/Sgt David Lorimer, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Jack Lewis Wallis, wireless operator, †
F/Lt George Liddell Caruthers Beattie, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Maurice Hamilton Denison, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Bremen: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942 at 0135 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3473

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bourn - Bourn

Location:

Bremen

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bourn on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Norman John Edwards, pilot, †
P/O Laurence Alan Edward Osbon,
Sgt Frederick Ralph Arthan, wireless operator, †
Sgt William George Cormack, air gunner, †
P/O Kenneth Edward Steel Muggleton.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3635

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2300LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flakd and crashed in Adelheide, some 16 km southwest of Bremen. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Thomas Reader Russel Wood, pilot, †
Sgt John Wynn Chapman, pilot, †
Sgt Leonard John Howe, observer, †
Sgt Maurice John Morris Davies, wireless operator, †
Sgt Benjamin Francis Wischusen, air gunner, †
P/O Horace Basil Pearce, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Zwiggelte: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942 at 0114 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

R5847

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bottesford - Bottesford

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bottesford at 2337LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Zwiggelte, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Colin Wathey, pilot,
F/Sgt Laurence John Lea, pilot,
Sgt Russell Roy Alwyn Jones, observer,
F/Sgt Thomas Donald Atkinson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Grahame Leveson Musitano, wireless operator,
Sgt Colin James Murray Hall, air gunner,
Sgt Stewart Gray Kerr, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Sint Maartensvlotbrug: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942 at 0055 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

R9457

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George

Location:

Sint Maartensvlotbrug

North Holland

Country:

Netherlands

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2316LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Sint Maartensvlotbrug. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Walter Stell, pilot, †
Sgt David Henry Nelson, flight engineer,
Sgt William Archer, observer, †
Sgt Robert Cecil Cockburn, bomb aimer,
Sgt Douglas Perry Brooks, wireless operator, †
Sgt Ronald Greenwood, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Charles Ronald Metcalfe, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Vlieland Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942 at 0050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3724

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2328LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Vlieland Island. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Jack Leon Hutchinson, pilot,
Sgt John Turner Plant, observer,
Sgt Terence Allen McGrath, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Edward Rowan, air gunner,
Sgt Eric Roland Harding, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942 at 0027 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

W7474

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham 2306LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Den Helder. Seven crew members were killed and the eighth became PoW.
Crew:
P/O James Garscadden, pilot, †
P/O John Douglas Insch, observer, †
F/Sgt Harold Cyril Frederick Broadbent, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Leo Louis Joseph Farley, wireless operator, †
Sgt Keith Rowland Cox, air gunner,
Sgt Norman Cyril Frederick Sibley, air gunner, †
Sgt Leonard James Smith, air gunner, †
P/O John Richard Webber, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III into The Channel

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

Z2283

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Great Massingham - Great Massingham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1909LT on an operation to Dunkirk (Operation Circus 186). Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and was later ditched some 15 km off the coast of Kent into The Channel. All four crew members were rescued, among them two were injured.
Crew:
P/O L. J. Skinner,
Sgt R. Foster,
Sgt B. Bernstein,
Sgt G. Mann.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax III at RAF Marham

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax III

Operator:

Registration:

X3749

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2247LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base, it crashed upon landing and caught fire. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
P/O H. G. Acourt,
P/O J. E. Worth,
F/Sgt E. Bullock,
Sgt E. Williams,
Sgt J. Thomas.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston IIIA into The Channel

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

AL712

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Great Massingham - Great Massingham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1809LT on an operation to Dunkirk. Over the target area, it was badly shot about by antiaircraft fire. The crew was able to evacuated the area but was eventually forced to abandon the airplane that crashed into The Channel some 15 km off the coast of Kent. All four crew members were later rescued, among them one was injured.
Crew:
F/O Leonard John Skinner, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Foster, observer,
Sgt B. Bernstein, wireless operator,
Sgt G. Mann, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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