Devonshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport on an operation to Exeter. It was shot down by a British fighter and crashed in Shute. All four crew members became PoW.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Beer Head

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1942 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W1045

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2211LT on April 14 on an operation to Dortmund. While returning to base the following morning, it ran out of fuel and was ditched into the North Sea some 5 km southeast of Beer Head. All seven crew members were subsequently rescued from their dinghy.
Crew:
W/O D. J. O'Driscoll,
P/O Dempsey,
Sgt Oakford,
Sgt Saunders,
F/Sgt McLaughlin,
Sgt Harrison,
Sgt Wiles.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Branscombe: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1942 at 1125 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P1226

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Exeter - Exeter

Location:

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Circumstances:

Following repairs, the airplane departed Exeter Airfield on a local test flight prior to be delivered to RAF Scampton. While flying in foggy conditions, the airplane impact the slope of hilly terrain and crashed near Branscompe. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Derek Alfred Cook, pilot,
P/O Robert Emmett Manders, observer.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I off RAF Chivenor: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1942 at 1031 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

L4445

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Chivenor - Chivenor

MSN:

8306

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training sortie at RAF Chivenor. While circling in the vicinity of the airbase at low altitude, the airplane impacted the water surface and crashed in the River Taw. Two crew members were killed and a third was injured.
Crew:
P/O Rafe Sherme Brimacombe, pilot, †
P/O Reginald Allan White, navigator, †
Sgt P. Scott, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the primary cause of the crash was the aircraft hitting the water of the River Taw, causing the port propeller to come off. A secondary cause was the stalling of the port wing during an attempt to carry out a forced landing due to:
a) the pilot attempted to reach the aerodrome with insufficient power or height to do so and
b) the use of flaps in the final stages of the approach.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24A-CO Liberator off Plymouth: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1942 at 0850 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGDR

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Cairo – Bournemouth

MSN:

YOM:

1942

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Cairo-Almaza Airport on an unscheduled flight to Bournemouth. While approaching the British coast, it was mistakenly shot down by the pilot of a RAF Spitfire and crashed into the sea, eight km off the Eddystone lighthouse, near Plymouth. All nine occupants were killed. RAF said the pilot of the Spitfire was a Polish citizen who misinterpreted the identity of the airplane and thought this was an enemy bomber. Following this tragedy, RAF will increase the aircraft reconnaissance training to avoid such situation.
Crew:
Cpt John Alexander Stuart Hunter, pilot,
Cpt Robert Humphrey Page, pilot,
Horace Reginald Spicer, flight engineer,
F/O Richard John Williamson.

Probable cause:

Mistakenly shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 near Exeter: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1942 at 0700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.217

Operator:

Registration:

U5+IR

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Amsterdam - Amsterdam

MSN:

5334

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport on an operation to England. In the area of Exeter, it was shot down by the British Flak and crashed in Southwood Farm. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Rolf Güldenpfennig, pilot,
Uffz Gustav Sommer, observer,
Fw Hermann Drame, radio operator,
Gefr Rudolf Baron, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the British Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I at RAF Chivenor: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1942 at 2032 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

L9935

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Chivenor - Chivenor

MSN:

9049

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after a night takeoff from RAF Chivenor, while climbing, the pilot initiated a turn to the left when the airplane stalled and crashed one mile east of the airfield. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Victor Meldrum, pilot,
Sgt Clarence Colville McLennan, observer,
Sgt George Alexander Blackwood, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Battram, air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I at RAF Chivenor: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942 at 0605 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

L4499

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Chivenor - Chivenor

MSN:

8360

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Chivenor, while on a local training exercise, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed near the airfield. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Robert Frank Spencer-Schrader, pilot instructor.
P/O Anthony Hugh Denison Reffell, pilot,
F/Sgt william Leonard Hheavisides, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV in Exeter: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Operator:

Registration:

Z1282

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1719LT on an operation to Brest. It was attacked by a night-fighter while returning to base, and very badly damaged Shrapnel from one of the shells set fire to a flare which exploded inside the aircraft, blowing the astrodome from its mountings and destroying some of the fuselage fabric. The pilot tried to make an emergency landing at Exeter, but was baulked by another aircraft. Unable to maintain control, the Wellington crashed between Pinhoe and Clyst Honiton on the west side of the aerodrome. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt Czesław Bialy, †
Cpl Stefan Niczewski, †
Sgt Zygmunt Sadurski, †
P/O Wojciech Veit, †
F/O H. Kracinski,
F/O J. Chomka.

Probable cause:

Crashed on approach after being attacked by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Tavistock

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 0615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

W5682

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

East Wretham - East Wretham

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 0340LT on an operation to Brest. Unable to locate the target area, the crew decided to return to base when the airplane suffered an engine failure. The bombs were jettisoned and the airplane crash landed at 0615LT some two miles east from Tavistock, coming to rest against a haystack. All six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/O Slama,
Sgt J. Fina,
Sgt Mazurek,
Sgt Raiskup,
Sgt Sipula,
Sgt J. Svoboda.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

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