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

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1943 at 0010 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4898
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Copenhagen
Hovedstaden
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 Syerston at 2036LT on April 28 for mine laying duties over the Baltic Sea. Passing over Copenhagen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Øresund Strait. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Michael De Beauchamp Collenette, pilot,
Sgt Jack Norman, flight engineer,
P/O Ian Ronald Robertson, navigator,
P/O Reginald Donovan Mix, bomb aimer,
P/O Nathaniel Robert Gyles, wireless operator,
W/O Franklin Guy Moore, air gunner,
Sgt Arthur William Bond, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1943 at 0230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4795
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Rerik
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
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 Syerston at 2127LT on April 20 on an operation to Szczecin. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rerik, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O James Louis Rossignol, pilot,
Sgt William John Jackson, flight engineer,
Sgt Graham Fellows, navigator,
Sgt Peter Tristan Smith, navigator,
F/Sgt Thomas Charles James Grist, wireless operator,
Sgt Joseph Francis McNeill, air gunner,
Sgt Michael Charles Burgoine, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0402 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4317
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerst
Location:
Quévy
Hainaut
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2113LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Quévy, 10 km southeast of Mons. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William MacFarlane, pilot,
Sgt Peter John Keay, pilot,
F/Sgt William Waller Dawson, observer,
F/O Cyril Frederick Williams, navigator,
Sgt Edward Reginald Davidson, navigator,
P/O John Frederick Edwards, wireless operator,
Sgt Jack Valentine Rees, air gunner,
P/O Donald Alfred Holdsworth, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Sauvillers-Mongival: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED752
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Sauvillers-Mongival
Somme
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2200LT on April 14 on an operation to Stuttgart. The following night, while returning to base, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Sauvillers-Mongival. Five crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Leslie Charles James Brodrick, pilot,
S/L Jerrard Latimer, pilot, †
Sgt Gordon William Hancock, flight engineer, †
P/O James Allan Burns, navigator,
Lt Gerard Muttrie, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Harold Buxton, wireless operator, †
Sgt William Thomas McLean, air gunner, †
Sgt H. Jones, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III off Scilly Islands

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1943 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED717
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Scilly Islands
Cornwall
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2039LT on April 13 on an operation to La Spezia. While returning to base the following morning, it was ditched into the sea off the Isles of Scilly. The crew were in their dinghy for 63 hours before being taken aboard a high speed launch.
Crew:
F/O M. E. Chivers, pilot,
Sgt E. A. Vale,
Sgt V. A. Rimmer,
Sgt M. James,
Sgt D. G. Shea,
Sgt S. A. White,
Sgt E. G. Smith, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1943 at 2345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4156
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Bislich
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 Syerston at 2105LT on an operation to Duisburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Bislich, 32 km northwest of Duisburg. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Lawrence Irvine, pilot,
Sgt Sidney Cordery, flight engineer,
Sgt Francis Andrew Smith, navigator,
Sgt Lawrence James Tate, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Frederick William George Limbrick, wireless operator,
Sgt Leslie James Hemus, air gunner,
Sgt Wilfred Gerald Harvey, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Gemen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1943 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED542
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Gemen
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 Syerston at 1915LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Gemen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas John Ridd, pilot,
Sgt Robert Charles Henry Webb, flight engineer,
F/O Alan Cairns Palmer, navigator,
F/O Joseph William Simpson, navigator,
Sgt Aaron Burson, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Sidney Sabell, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest Williams, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Saint-Nazaire: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1943 at 2341 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4257
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Saint-Nazaire
Loire-Atlantique
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2007LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Robert Leslie Pickup, pilot,
Sgt Roland William Lea, flight engineer,
Sgt Arthur Eddie Bagley, navigator,
Sgt Henry Philip Hunter, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Geoffrey Barnes, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth Arthur Tester, air gunner,
F/Sgt Calvin Warren Dahl, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Lievelde: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943 at 0427 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED596
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Lievelde
Gelderland
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 Syerston at 2125LT on March 29 on an operation to Berlin. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Lievelde. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Eric Lewis Hayward, pilot,
Sgt George William Frederick Baker, flight engineer,
F/Lt John Oswald Young, navigator,
P/O Alexander Urquhart, bomb aimer,
P/O Eric Harry Mantle, wireless operator,
P/O Geoffrey Victor Pryor, air gunner,
Sgt Dennis Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Essen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
R5749
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
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:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 1859LT on an operation to Essen. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Arthur Lennox McDonald, pilot, †
Sgt Kenneth Roland Joseph Youngs, flight engineer, †
Sgt Henry Stuart Fell Bishell, navigator, †
F/Sgt Robert Neil Lindsay, bomb aimer,
Sgt Bernard James Eckett, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Edward Blake Clampitt, air gunner, †
Sgt Robin Cecil Carrow Owen, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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