Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I near Jisp: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1943 at 2242 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED554
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 2026LT on an operation to Duisburg. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Jisp. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Harold Arthur Healey, pilot,
Sgt William Leslie Whitehouse, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Arthur Rupert Lewis, navigator,
Sgt Denis Edward Whitaker, bomb aimer,
Sgt Roy Bishop, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Eric Arthur Dampier, air gunner,
F/Sgt Cornelius William Kleynhans, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Rerik

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943 at 0130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4931
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 2132LT on March 29 on an operation to Berlin. While cruising over the target area at an altitude of 15,000 feet, it was hit by the German Flak. After losing 7,000 feet, it was finished by a German fighter, was abandoned by the crew and crashed in Rerik. All seven crew members parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Denys Oliver Street, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Dudley, flight engineer,
Sgt Bramwell Allenby Rawlinson, navigator,
Sgt Gerald Valentine Eld, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Leslie Blake, wireless operator,
Sgt Bernard Howard Nutt, air gunner,
Sgt John Ernest Taylor, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED604
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 1923LT on an operation to Essen. Approaching the target area, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Bottrop, about 10 km northwest of Essen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Michael Eugene Doble, pilot,
Sgt Alexander Garden, flight engineer,
F/O Brendan Clitheroe, navigator,
P/O Ian Alistair Hardy Linklater, wireless operator,
Sgt Bernard Leo Litolff, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Robert Stonehouse Carr, air gunner,
F/Sgt Thomas Jack Walker, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Tagnon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1943 at 0159 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4172
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 2041LT on March 9 on an operation to Munich. In the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Tagnon. Four crew members were killed, one became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ivor Wood, pilot, †
Sgt R. Brown, flight engineer,
Sgt G. I. Brownhill, navigator,
Sgt Richard Hall Warren, bomb aimer, †
Sgt William Garvey Lishman, wireless operator,
Sgt George Sydney Margetson, air gunner, †
Sgt George Mortimore, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III at RAF Langar: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943 at 0308 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED549
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 1832LT on March 4 on a mine laying operation. While returning to base the following night, the crew diverted to RAF Langar where the airplane crashed on approach and was destroyed. Six crew members were killed and one was injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt Gerald Russell Avey, pilot, †
Sgt Grey Doyle Cumberbatch, †
Sgt Benjamin Thomas Hallett, †
Sgt John Robinson, †
Sgt Alan Havelock Spence, †
Sgt D. S. Davies,
F/Sgt Rene Rodger Landry, air gunner. †

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

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED365
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 1900LT on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Wedel, some 18 km west of Hamburg. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Evison, pilot,
Sgt Raymond Walter Ernest Holley, flight engineer,
F/O Bernard Johnson, navigator,
W/O William Victor Wallace, wireless operator,
Sgt Lewis Reginald Thompson, air gunner,
W/O William Edward Cain, air gunner,
F/Sgt Melville George Delatorre.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Biarritz: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED533
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 1833LT to lay mines of the French coast. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into the sea off Biarritz. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Ralph Isaacs, pilot,
Sgt Richard Brown, mechanic,
F/O George Alexander Bisset, navigator,
Sgt William Oliver Shelley, radio operator,
F/Sgt Kenneth George Peters, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Walter Webster, air gunner,
F/O Frank Bryce Hawkins, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Maudach: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1943 at 2247 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED356
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 1950LT on an operation to Ludwigshafen. Approaching the target area at an altitude of 4,000 metres, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Maudach. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt William Alexander Stevenson Elder, pilot,
F/O Murray Kerr Sexton, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Roy Johnson, flight engineer,
F/O George Howard Wheeler, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Herbert Hogarth, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Stanley Fayle, wireless operator,
W/O Robert Stanley Hannah, air gunner,
W/O Percy Gordon Williams, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Hooksiel: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1943 at 2046 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED330
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 1828LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Approaching the target area from the north, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea some 2,5 km northeast of Hooksiel, some 13 km north of Wilhelmshaven. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Norman Clive Beer, pilot, †
Sgt Walter Gordon Gawthorpe, flight engineer,†
P/O Charles Douglas Ernest Burney, navigator,
Sgt Harold John West, bomb aimer, †
Sgt William Harding, wireless operator, †
Sgt James Logan Whyte, air gunner, †
Sgt Joseph Smurthwaite, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Saint-Brisson: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1943 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7547
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bottesford - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bottesford at 1914LT on February 14 on an operation to Milan. The following night, while flying over France on a return flight to RAF Langar, the crew noticed that all four engines' temperature was too high. Shortly later, the engine n°1 caught fire and exploded. The crew decided to abandon the aircraft but only two crew bailed out and survived while five other occupants were killed when the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Saint Brisson, west of Saulieu.
Crew (207th Squadron):
F/Sgt John H. F. Whyte, pilot,
F/Sgt Stanley H. Eyre, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Thomas William Strong, observer, †
Sgt Frank Ivan Tillen, navigator, †
F/Sgt Athol Richard Grainger, †
Sgt Henry George Bone, †
Sgt Kenneth White. †
Probable cause:
Overheating, fire and explosion of the engine n°1 in flight.