Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Den Helder: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1943 at 0030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7918
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1810LT on January 27 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Shortly after midnight, while returning to base, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Waddenzee east of Den Helder. Three crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Bruce Keith Lindsay, pilot, †
Sgt William Alan Bennett, flight engineer, †
F/Lt Gerald James O’Hanley, navigator, †
F/O James Malcolm Colquhoun, bomb aimer,
Sgt Alan Frederick Turner, wireless operator,
Sgt Reid Thompson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Den Helder: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1943 at 0028 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
X9667
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Moreton-in-Marsh - Moreton-in-Marsh
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Moreton-in-Marsh at 1830LT on January 26 on a special operation. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Waddenzee some 5 km east of Den Helder. Six crew members were killed and one was rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Gordon George Ellis, pilot, †
Sgt Eric Hector Tucker, navigator, †
P/O Dilwyn Llewelyn, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Ronald Edward Elvin, wireless operator, †
F/O Frank Howard Mitchell, †
Sgt Norman George Smith, †
W/O J. N. Morgan.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1943 at 1952 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4340
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1735LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 40 km north of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Edgar Heaton Burgess, pilot,
F/Lt Torkel Torkelsson Lundberg, flight engineer,
F/Sgt John Stewart Hill, navigator,
F/Sgt Kenneth George Curtis, bomb aimer,
Sgt George Henry Anderson, wireless operator,
Sgt Sidney Edward Perry, air gunner,
Sgt Douglas Paterson Kerr, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942 at 1915 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF403
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Downham Market - Downham Market
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Downham Market at 1802LT on an operation to Fallersleben. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Marsdiep off Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leonard Clarence Shepherd, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Martin Taylor, flight engineer,
Sgt Stanley Holmes, navigator,
Sgt Alan John Claude Lavers, bomb aimer,
W/O Joseph Noel Charles Hornidge, wireless operator,
Sgt Alan Frank Copplestone, air gunner,
Sgt Glyn Price, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura I off Den Helder: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 6, 1942 at 1448 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AE784
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Methwold - Methwold
MSN:
4127
YOM:
1942
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Methwold at 1355LT on an operation to Den Helder. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea of Wadden, 5 km east off Den Helder. The air gunner was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt John Edgar Harrison, pilot,
P/O Howard John Luck, observer,
F/Lt Colin Ward Dawson Hunt, wireless operator,
Sgt William Joseph Atkinson, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV near Den Helder: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1942 at 2247 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1255
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2029LT on a mine laying operation. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Den Helder. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Stanisław Bielec, pilot, †
F/O Jan Stapor, †
Sgt S. Szczepanski, †
Sgt Stanisław Sapeta, †
Sgt Stanisław Chudy, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Den Helder: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9160
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Downham Market - Downham Market
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Downham Market at 2045LT on August 27 on an operation to Kassel. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 30 km southwest of Den Helder. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William Ronald Berryman McCarthy, pilot,
F/Sgt Henry Millen Russell, pilot,
Sgt Harold Forshaw, flight engineer,
P/O Thomas Patrick Scanlan, observer,
Sgt Louis Arthur Jones, bomb aimer,
P/O Vincent Charles William Trowbridge, wireless operator,
Sgt Gordon Francis Medhurst, air gunner,
F/Sgt Joseph Ronald Bird, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Den Helder: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AT139
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Balderton - Balderton
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Balderton at 2341LT on July 21 on an operation to Duisburg. In unknown circumstances, it crashed into the sea east of Den Helder. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Robert Wishart, pilot,
Sgt Robert Spencer Doherty, observer,
F/Sgt John Beverly Pleasence, wireless operator,
P/O Thomas Reginald Ashton, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1942 at 0300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1110
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2331LT on June 27 on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea some 20 km southwest of Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O William Lawrence Scott, pilot,
Sgt George Bertram Tatham, flight engineer,
W/O Gordon McLean Phillips, observer,
P/O John James Hughes, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt James Edward Cole, wireless operator,
Sgt Sidney Bertram Rowland, air gunner,
P/O Joseph Harvey Milton Lacelle, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Den Helder: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1942 at 0426 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
BD266
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Honeybourne - Honeybourne
MSN:
2573
YOM:
1942
Location:
Den Helder
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honeybourne at 2236LT on June 25 on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base the following morning, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 10 km southwest of Den Helder. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Frederick Marsden Cole, pilot,
P/O Sidney Arthur Cheeseman, observer,
P/O Harry William Blackford, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Peter Christopher Omilianouski, air gunner,
Sgt William Percy Rixon, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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