Zone
Morbihan

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress off Lorient: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24449
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn
MSN:
3134
YOM:
1942
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by German fighters and crashed into the sea off Lorient. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt William D. Bloodgood,
1st Lt Cecil R. Tabor,
1st Lt William S. Chubb,
1st Lt Frank T. Dreisbach,
T/Sgt Hubert B. Buchanan,
T/Sgt William H. Steele,
T/Sgt Willy H. W. Zeeck,
S/Sgt Arden G. Gearhart,
S/Sgt William R. Marks,
S/Sgt Donald Velasquez.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV off Lorient: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 31, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1279
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1733LT to lay mines in the French waters off Lorient. Approaching the target area, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Andrzej Rogowski, pilot,
Cpt Kazimierz Joszt, navigator,
Cpl Bronisław Ossowski,
Cpl Wacław Jozef Polarski,
F/O Jerzy Gorecki.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Lorient

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ780
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wickenby - Wickenby
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wickenby at 1900LT to lay mines of Saint Nazaire. At the end of the evening, while returning to base at an altitude of 2,000 feet, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Lorient. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O James Duncan Inglis,
P/O John Charles William Simpson,
Sgt Thomas Snowden Temple,
Sgt John Frank Wagner,
Sgt R. Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 429 Wellington VIII off Lorient

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1942 at 0355 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 429 Wellington VIII
Operator:
Registration:
BB503
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chivenor - Chivenor
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chivenor on an operation to the west French coast. Following engine problems, it was ditched into the sea off Lorient and sank. All six crew members were rescued after five days and returned to UK.
Crew:
F/O A. W. R. Triggs,
Sgt N. P. G. Walker,
P/O C. Badham,
P/O J. C. Devonshire,
F/Sgt R. P. McLean,
F/Sgt A. S. Cartwright.
Probable cause:
Engine problems.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV off Lorient: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1386
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2128LT on August 5 to lay mines in the French waters off Lorient. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Jakub Ciolek, navigator, †
P/O Ludwik Domanski, pilot, †
Cpl Antoni Jozef Frankowski, †
Sgt Walenty Gohres, †
Sgt Ludwik Tadeusz Jozef Kurowski, †
Sgt P. Hur.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

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

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE390
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington to lay mines in the French waters. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Lorient. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas John Hannah, pilot,
Sgt William John Chapman, observer,
F/Sgt Peter Ernest Bull, wireless operator,
F/Sgt James Anderson Thomson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Lorient: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
Z1576
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Alconbury - Alconbury
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2357LT on July 6 to lay mines in French waters off Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Robin Alered Attwater, pilot,
Sgt William Henry Leedham, observer,
Sgt Norman Fountain, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Rigby Wiltcher, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Parker, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Lorient: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3345
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Alconbury - Alconbury
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2359LT on July 6 to lay mines in French waters off Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All five occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur Frederick Galley, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Joseph Alexander, observer,
Sgt William George Roddy, observer,
Sgt John David Robert Heddle, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Graham Cowan Barrie, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Lorient: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3709
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bourn to lay mines off Lorient. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off the French coast and was lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt John Saunders Weaver, pilot,
Sgt Hector Thomas Moore Cooper, pilot,
Sgt Ioan Henri Roberts, navigator,
P/O Norman Ernest Myring, observer,
Sgt John Harley Dixon, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Claude William Valder, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Lorient: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
R5493
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1950LT on a mine laying operation off Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Lyster Warren-Smith, pilot,
Sgt Richard Alfred Marston, pilot,
Sgt Clive Edward Wigram Clifford, navigator,
Sgt Alistair Fraser Murdock, navigator,
Sgt Edward Burgess Cluff, wireless operator,
Sgt John Boyd, wireless operator,
Sgt Willliam Harold Flower, air gunner,
Sgt John McNally Davidson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
shot down by enemy fire.
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