Saint Eval AFB

Operator:

Registration:

BD290

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

2597

YOM:

1942

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a maritime patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off La Rochelle. The pilot was killed while four other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt James William McLean, pilot, †
Sgt Philip Francis Barnet Creech, copilot,
W/O John Donald Carmichael, radio operator,
W/O John Torrie Johnston, observer,
Sgt Melvin Howard Treanor, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Pentrez

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z6795

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

2155

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval on an anti-submarine sweep operation in the Atlantic Ocean. Due to fuel exhaustion, the crew was forced to make an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed on a beach in Pentrez. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Neville James Mundell, pilot,
W/O James Frederick Grier,
Sgt Hugh Gerald Philip Hart,
W/O Ian Gilchrist Keiller,
F/Sgt Kenneth George d'Arcy Farrell,
Sgt Eric James Christian, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I into the Celtic Sea: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

R5661

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1145LT to attack the tanker named 'Coruna' cruising north of Spain. It is believed that it was shot down by enemy fire while attacking the tanker and failed to return to base. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Archibald Leonard Searby, pilot,
P/O Arthur Eaton, flight engineer,
Sgt Ian Verdun Witham, navigator,
Sgt Albert Eric Townsend, bomb aimer,
F/O Rupert Alexander Haig, wireless operator,
Sgt David Canet, air gunner,
Sgt Samuel Richard Vowles, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Brest

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9300

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

2364

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a seven-and-a-half hour patrol flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The port engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the airplane off Brest. All five crew members were able to get into the dinghy and were picked up by a Royal Navy destroyer three days later.
Crew:
Sgt F. Boyd,
Sgt W. G. Wishart,
Sgt T. Parker
Sgt R. F. Crouch
Sgt A. J. Hendry.

Probable cause:

Failure of the left engine in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I near Port Quinn: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1942 at 1450 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

T9460

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Meteorological / Weather

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

414-2513

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a meteorology mission. While returning to base, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a cloud base at 150 feet. When over the airfield, the crew called on the R/T and was directed to land at RAF Predannack, south Cornwall. The crew acknowledged this instruction but instead of flying to Predannack, the aircraft flew along the coast. At an insufficient altitude, the airplane impacted the ground and crashed near Port Quinn. All four crew members were killed.
Crew
Sgt Douglas Ellerington Peart, pilot,
Sgt Derek John Newcombe, observer,
Sgt Morris Solomon, wireless operator,
Sgt Eric Leslie Waldron, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Low cloud was the main contributory factor to the accident. Also the pilot had disregarded instructions to proceed to Predannack, and it was bad airmanship in trying to follow a difficult coastline in bad visibility.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Punta do Limo: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

BD210

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

2530

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

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Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1210LT on an anti-submarine patrol flight over the Bay of Biscay. While cruising along the Spanish coast, the crew encountered poor visibility due to fog when the airplane impacted the shore in Punta do Limo, some 60 km northeast of A Coruña. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Brian Willson, pilot,
P/O Leslie Charles Froud, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Arthur Harsum, observer,
Sgt Stanley Brimer, wireless operator,
Sgt Herbert Kitchener Bromage, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Alexander Seaton Lorimer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Watchfield: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1942 at 1743 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P5329

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Wigsley

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a mine laying operation off Lorient. While returning to RAF Wigsley (main base), the right propeller detached. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed near Watchfield, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt Alan Herbert Metcalfe, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Max Donohoe,
F/O James Albert Sayer,
F/Sgt George Stevenson Wilson, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Loss of the right propeller in flight.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IV at RAF Saint Eval: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1942 at 2300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AM535

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

414-2617

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local training exercise at RAF Saint Eval. On final approach at night, the pilot-in-command abandoned the landing procedure and initiated a go around manoeuvre. While in initial climb, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in a field located one mile north of the airport. All three crew members were killed.
Crew (233th Squadron):
Sgt William Wilfred Parr, pilot,
Sgt Stanley Edwin Hyam,
Sgt Sydney William Benson.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V on Ushant Island

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P5050

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site: