Bombing

Flight Type:

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Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Schedule:

Oakington - Oakington

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The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 0940LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Nicholas Frederick Durban,
F/Lt Bernard Parnell,
Sgt John Henry Martin Pulford,
Sgt Maurice Anthony Sullivan,
Sgt Kenneth Roy Taylor,
F/Sgt Ronald Wheatley,
Sgt Terence Patrick Wright.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Plouguerneau: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

W7436

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Schedule:

Oakington - Oakington

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The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 0948LT on an operation to Brest. It was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed in Plouguerneau. Two crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Lionel William Vaughan Jennens, pilot,
F/Sgt Walter Merrill Baker, wireless operator, †
Sgt John Towns, air gunner, †
Sgt Frank Valentine Davis,
Sgt Frank Kendall Lister,
Sgt Edmund Vere Smith,
Sgt John Charles Webb.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Spithead

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941 at 1850 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9129

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2268

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1643LT on an operation to Le Havre. While flying at an altitude of 6,500 feet, the starboard engine caught fire. Prompt action by the crew quelled the fire, but the Whitley lost height and crashed off Spithead. All five crew members were rescued.
Crew:
P/O H. G. Bedford,
Sgt Howell,
P/O Ponds,
Sgt Oliver,
Sgt Parks.

Probable cause:

The starboard engine caught fire in flight.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 near Benghazi: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

7T+LL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

3583

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The airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Benghazi. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Heinrich Trubold, pilot,
Lt Hermann Meyer, observer,
Uffz Otto Fladung, radio operator,
Uffz Herbert Breuer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Camaret-sur-Mer: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

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Registration:

AD868

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Vickers 406 Wellington II

Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

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The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1830LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Camaret-sur-Mer. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Esler Hall,
Sgt John George Henderson,
P/O Therald Lionel Kaschula,
Sgt Edward Wade.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Tripoli: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z9804

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Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

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The airplane departed RAF Luqa on an operation over Libya. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed west of Tripoli. A crew was killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Francis Henry William Keene, pilot,
Sgt Charles Theodore Small, observer,
Sgt Jack Pickup, wireless operator. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Lindholme

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1941 at 2115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z8427

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

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The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 1759LT on an operation to Ostend. While returning to base in the evening, it crashed at 2115LT at Crowtree Farm while in the airbase circuit, due to a faulty altimeter setting, which led the pilot to think he had 500 feet to go before landing. Four crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt A. Gusowski,
Sgt M. Lembrych,
F/O K. Gebik,
Sgt K. Gorny,
Sgt M. Gora,
Sgt B. Zwiewka.

Probable cause:

Wrong altimeter setting on approach to base.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1941 at 1905 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1064

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