Zone

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III off Harlingen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1943 at 2257 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED934
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2130LT on May 15 to attack the Sorpe Dam located 40 km southeast of Dortmund. While passing over the Netherlands at night at an altitude of 300 feet, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Waddenzee, west of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O Vernon William Byers, pilot,
Sgt Alastair James Taylor, flight engineer,
P/O James Herbert Warner, navigator,
Sgt Arthur Neville Whitaker, air bomber,
Sgt John Wilkinson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Charles McAllister Jarvie, air gunner,
F/Sgt James McDowell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: May 13, 1943 at 0202 LT
Operator:
Registration:
DT645
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Snaith at 2322LT on May 12 on an operation to Duisburg. Passing over the Netherlands the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt David Crofton Smith, pilot,
Sgt Edward Frederick Kinerman, flight engineer,
Sgt Eric Wilson Thomson, navigator,
Sgt Barnard Angus Bunting, bomb aimer,
Sgt Charles Lionel King, wireless operator,
Sgt Murray Hudley Nesbitt, air gunner,
Sgt William John Merrigan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
HR658
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2240LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by two German fighters and crashed into the sea 20 km southwest of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Gudmundur Arnpor Johannesson, pilot,
Sgt Cameron William Ellard, flight engineer,
F/O William Angus Grant, navigator,
F/Sgt Malcolm Roy Edgar Metcalfe, bomb aimer,
W/O Donat Cyprien Romain Nault, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Roger Victor Clitheroe, air gunner,
F/Sgt Jack Colin Archer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by two German fighters.

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

Date & Time: May 5, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
JB903
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2238LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by two German fighters and crashed into the sea 20 km southwest of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Alan Charles Leppard, pilot,
Sgt Denis Norman Brown, flight engineer,
Sgt Victor Charles George Moody, navigator,
Sgt Ronald Boydell, bomb aimer,
Sgt Percy Edward Mellish, wireless operator,
Sgt Frank Moore, air gunner,
Sgt Charles Lowis, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by two German fighters.

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

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943 at 2220 LT
Operator:
Registration:
BB282
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse 1853LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Waddenzee some 10 km west of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Clifford Arthur Milan, pilot,
Sgt Owen Joseph Trainor, flight engineer,
F/O Charles George Hitt, navigator,
P/O Ernest John Fry, bomb aimer,
Sgt Haydn Winston Edwards, wireless operator,
Sgt Horace Clarence Cope, air gunner,
W/O Russell Benson Van Buren, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-1-CO Liberator off Harlingen: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1943 at 1155 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-23690
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Shipdham - Shipdham
MSN:
485
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Shipdham on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. As the crew encountered poor weather conditions, it was decided to change the target and to bomb the Lemmer harbor in the Netherlands. Flying in poor visibility, the airplane collided with a German fighter that struck the left wing of the bomber that entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into the Waddenzee off Harlingen. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Nolan B. Cargile, pilot,
1st Lt Kenneth H. Moore, copilot,
S/Sgt Paul M. Crane, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Saul Suskind, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Michael Geriok, radio operator,
Cpt Oscar H. Wilkinson, navigator,
1st Lt Paul H. Keilman, bombardier,
S/Sgt Verne C. Stewart, air gunner,
S/Sgt Arthur A. Van Cleef, air gunner,
S/Sgt Solomon I. Wise, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Harlingen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1942 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DV935
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Harwell - Harwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Harwell at 2244LT 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 sea off Harlingen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt James Stewart Leather, pilot,
Sgt Harry Bloor, pilot,
Sgt John McKelvie Dunn Oliver, observer,
Sgt Ronald Thomas Fage, wireless operator,
Sgt David Thomson Stanners, air gunner,
Sgt Gordon Lake, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Harlingen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1942 at 2244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DV935
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Harwell - Harwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Harwell in the day on a bombing mission to Bremen, Germany, with 1,066 other aircraft. Following an uneventful mission, the aircraft was returning to UK and was overflying The Netherlands when it was shot down by the German Flak. It went out off control and crashed into the Wadden Lake, off Harlingen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (15th OTU):
Sgt James Stewart Leather, pilot,
Sgt Harry Bloor, pilot,
Sgt John McKelvie Dunn Oliver, observer,
Sgt Ronald Thomas Fage, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt David Thompson Stanners, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Gordon Lake, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Harlingen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
W1104
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2314LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Harlingen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Adams Philp, pilot,
Sgt John Battersby, flight engineer,
Sgt Frank Edwin Ormerod, observer,
P/O Robert Samuel Mulhauser, wireless operator,
Sgt James Henry Harte, air gunner,
Sgt Willie Watson, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Harlingen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1941 at 0500 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AD911
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2305LT on October 10 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following morning, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Waddenzee of Harlingen. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Douglas Charlton Hedley, pilot,
Sgt George Mitchell, observer,
Sgt William Albert Brooks, wireless operator, †
Sgt Edward Wilfred Ernest Gough, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.