Zone
Yorkshire

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Gruitrode: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1943 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7813
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Gruitrode
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 2312LT on May 25 on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Gruitrode, killing all seven crew members.
Crew:
Sgt Lewis William Rees, pilot,
Sgt Ernest Vincent Pass, flight engineer,
Sgt Harry Roots, navigator,
Sgt Harold William Moore, bomb aimer,
Sgt James Reginald McLeod, wireless operator,
F/Sgt David Ronald Gilchrist, air gunner,
Sgt Charles Henry Sherwood, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near Zweeloo: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1943 at 0255 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB892
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Zweeloo
Drenthe
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 Elvington at 2335LT on May 13 on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a forest located northeast of Zweeloo. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Dennis Percival Puddephatt, pilot,
Sgt Melvin John Halls Brookes, flight engineer,
Sgt Lawrence William Bolton, navigator,
Sgt John Iorwerth Palmer Morgan, navigator,
Sgt George Samuel Walton, wireless operator,
Sgt Alexander Walker McKillop, air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Alfred Halestrap, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Bishop Wilton: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 13, 1943 at 0620 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB865
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Bishop Wilton
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 2345LT on May 12 on an operation to Duisburg. The following morning, while returning to base, it crashed in unknown circumstances at 0620LT at Bishop Wilton. Two crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Thomas Archibald, pilot, †
Sgt C. Hewitson, flight engineer,
Sgt J. Gerry,
Sgt G. Marlow,
Sgt Gerard Scully, bomb aimer, †
Sgt F. K. Smith, air gunner,
Sgt J. Currie, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Vreden: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 13, 1943 at 0206 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT632
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Vreden
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 2353LT on May 12 on an operation to Duisburg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Vreden, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Thomas Matheson Moran, pilot,
Sgt John Desmond Mahony, flight engineer,
Sgt Leonard Allen Stimpson, navigator,
F/O Frederick Allan Clark, bomb aimer,
Sgt Ronald George Miles, wireless operator,
Sgt William Anthony Pasqual, air gunner,
Sgt John Thomson Murray, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Elvington

Date & Time: May 11, 1943 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
BB380
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Elvington
Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll from RAF Elvington, the airplane swung violently and ran through a hedge before coming to a halt, damaged beyond repair. A crew was slightly injured.
Crew:
Sgt A. Brannigan, pilot +4.

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

Date & Time: May 1, 1943 at 0232 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB783
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Hoenderloo
Gelderland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 2354LT on April 30 on an operation to Essen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a wooded area located north of Hoenderloo. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Alec Reginald Camburn, pilot, †
Sgt Lawrence Dubetz, flight engineer, †
Sgt Ronald Eric Hawkins, navigator, †
Sgt Neville Aubrey Fearneyhough, bomb aimer,
Sgt Alfred James Butlin, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Traverse Jardine, air gunner, †
Sgt John Kevin Hendry, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Muiden: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1943 at 0226 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB803
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Muiden
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 Elvington at 2353LT on April 30 on an operation to Essen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Muiden, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Gordon Watson, pilot,
Sgt Ian Douglas Crawford, flight engineer,
F/O Arthur Edward Parsons, navigator,
Sgt Leon Hannam, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Robert Louth, wireless operator,
Sgt Raymond Shepherd, air gunner,
F/Sgt Thomas Deuel Scarff, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Marl: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB846
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Marl
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 2352LT on April 30 on an operation to Essen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Marl, 23 km north of Essen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Frederick Clifford Bertram, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Ambler, flight engineer,
Sgt Cecil Wallace Warne, navigator,
Sgt Charles Henry Herbert, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Peter Hughes Brownlee, wireless operator,
Sgt William Charles Bostock, air gunner,
Sgt Jack Douglas Olding, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Essen: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1943 at 0251 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT796
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Essen
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 0039LT on an operation to Duisburg. Over Essen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the city. Two crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O John Downing Pye, pilot, †
Sgt Edgar Joseph Tassell, flight engineer,
F/O Robert Campbell Stewart, navigator,
P/O Douglas William Atter, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt George Edward Barfoot, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter Dupuy Gibbs, air gunner,
Sgt John Raymond Wells, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Mandø Island: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1943 at 0321 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR714
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Mandø Island
Syddanmark
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elvington at 2121LT on April 20 on an operation to Szczecin. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Mandø Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Watson, pilot,
Sgt Robert Cooper Mills Douglas, flight engineer,
Sgt Andrew Peter Deighton, navigator,
Sgt John Burt Watt, bomb aimer,
Sgt Thomas Pearson, wireless operator,
Sgt Anthony Luke, air gunner,
F/Sgt Raymond Graham Hume, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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