Country
Belgium
code

Limburg

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Bree: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0214 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7301
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Location:
Bree
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 2301LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Following an uneventful mission, the airplane returned to base when, while flying over Belgium at night, it was shot down by the German Flak. The captain ordered his crew to bail out. Sole on board, he attempted an emergency landing in Bree, some 21 km northwest of Gent. Unfortunately, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a drainage ditch and was destroyed. The captain was killed and all six others occupants evaded.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/O Leslie Thomas Manser, pilot, †
Sgt Leslie Harold Baveystock, pilot,
P/O Richard John Barnes, radio navigator,
P/O Robert Milham Horsley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Stanley Edward King, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Allan McFadyen Mills, air gunner,
Sgt Benjamin William Naylor, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Wijchmaal: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0157 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
Z1614
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
Wijchmaal
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2359LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Wijchmaal, west of Peer. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Emrys Edwards,
F/Sgt William Francis Crampton,
Sgt Malcolm Boyle,
Sgt William Arnott McLeod,
Sgt Hubert Sproston.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Weert: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z9307
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
MSN:
2371
YOM:
1941
Location:
Weert
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Driffield at2310LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Weert, north of Bornem, Belgium. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
S/L John Alain Stobart Russell, pilot, †
P/O Dennis Grant Box, pilot,
F/Sgt James Herbert Godbehere, observer, †
F/O Dennis Wilson Foster, wireless operator,
Sgt William Harding Orman, air gunner. †

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I near Brustem AFB: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 20, 1942 at 0224 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7520
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Brustem AFB
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2258LT on May 19 on an operation to Mannheim. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near the Brustem Airbase. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Hector Garrick Pilling, pilot,
P/O Ronald Arthur Bowker, pilot,
Sgt William Helliwell, flight engineer,
P/O Irvine Frank Hoidas, navigator,
Sgt William Henry Bracken, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Gerald John Patrick Kearns, wireless operator,
P/O Clifford Lewis, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Overrepen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
Z1148
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Overrepen
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall in the evening of April 14 on an operation to Dortmund. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Overrepen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Reginald Marcus Lawrence, pilot,
F/Sgt Billy Orrin Gates, pilot,
P/O Robert Balfour Halliday, observer,
F/Sgt Douglas Harold Morton Jacques, wireless operator,
Sgt Eric Mason, wireless operator,
Sgt Samuel Cox, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Piringen: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1942 at 0238 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7470
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge
Location:
Piringen
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 0035LT on a bombing mission to Essen, Germany. While overflying Belgium at night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a field located in Piringen, some 3 km west of Tongeren. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Sgt Eric William Noble, pilot,
Sgt Lloyd John Holmes Lincoln, pilot,
Sgt Robert Eastwood Newton, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Leyshon, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Donavan Peter George Kent, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Neville James Patton, air gunner,
Sgt George Henry Walker, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Opoeteren: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1942 at 0414 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3425
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Location:
Opoeteren
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 2155LT on April 1st on a bombing mission to Hanau. While returning home the following night, it was shot down by a German Bf 110 and crashed in Opoeteren. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Thomas Roper, pilot,
Sgt Alan Frederick Logan, pilot,
Sgt John Southy Palmer, observer,
Sgt Wilfred Thorpe, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt George Eltringham, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John Kay Sharp, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Lommel

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1941 at 0549 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE251
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Swinderby - Swinderby
Location:
Lommel
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Swinderby on an operation to Cologne. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Lommel. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Ernest Ronald Abbott,
Sgt James Hugh Barrett,
Sgt Thomas Gibson Wake,
P/O William John Chase.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Beverlo: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1941 at 0518 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7373
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Beverlo
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following morning and passing over Belgium, the bomber was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a pasture in Beverlo. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew (207th Squadron):
P/O Lionel A. Paskell, pilot, †
Sgt Dennis V. Chant, flight engineer, †
F/S Kenneth H. L. Houghton, navigator,
F/S George H. Roberts, †
Sgt Arthur D. Smith, radio officer,
Sgt Cyril D. G. Walter, air gunner, †
Sgt Lewis J. Compton, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1941 at 2347 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD859
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Munsterbilzen
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2015LT on an operation to Cologne. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Munsterbilzen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt George Gilbert Bensley, pilot,
Sgt Frank Dacey, pilot,
Sgt John Alexander Dallas Clark, wireless operator,
Sgt Harry Gilbert Tonks, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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