Country
Belgium
code

Limburg

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Hechtel-Eksel: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0218 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
DS627
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Location:
Hechtel-Eksel
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 East Wretham at 2356LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Hechtel-Eksel, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Roughead Fleming, pilot,
Sgt Hopkin George Thomas, flight engineer,
Sgt Robert Adair, navigator,
P/O Charles Kenneth Coker, bomb aimer,
Sgt James Currie, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth George Berry, air gunner,
Sgt Arthur Raymond Tickner, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Leopoldsburg: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0028 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR717
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Lissett - Lissett
Location:
Leopoldsburg
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 Lissett at 2213LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Leopoldsburg, killing all seven crew members.
Crew:
W/O Jack Cooper, pilot,
Sgt Harry Simpson, flight engineer,
F/O Wallace Clifford Luther, navigator,
F/O Derrick Roy Woodroffe, bomb aimer,
Sgt Horace Derrick Young, wireless operator,
Sgt Fred Dykes, air gunner,
F/Sgt William Mason Ellis, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217N-1 at Sint-Truiden AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.217
Operator:
Registration:
G9+JM
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Sint-Truiden - Sint Truiden
MSN:
1469
YOM:
1941
Location:
Sint-Truiden
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Following a combat mission, the airplane was returning to base at Sint-Truiden AFB. On approach to the airfield, it was shot down by a British fighter and crashed. A crew was killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
Uffz Karl-Heinz Roscher, pilot +2.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Gruitrode: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1943 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7813
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elvington - Elvington
Location:
Gruitrode
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 Elvington at 2312LT on May 25 on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Gruitrode, killing all seven crew members.
Crew:
Sgt Lewis William Rees, pilot,
Sgt Ernest Vincent Pass, flight engineer,
Sgt Harry Roots, navigator,
Sgt Harold William Moore, bomb aimer,
Sgt James Reginald McLeod, wireless operator,
F/Sgt David Ronald Gilchrist, air gunner,
Sgt Charles Henry Sherwood, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Bree: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HZ476
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dalton - Dalton
Location:
Bree
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 Dalton at 2334LT on May 25 on an operation to Düsseldorf, and crashed in unknown circumstances in Bree, killing all six crew members.
Crew:
W/O William George Pepper, pilot,
F/O Roy Gibson Madge, pilot,
P/O Frank Greenaway Baker, navigator,
W/O Norman James Waters, bomb aimer,
Sgt Kenneth George Higgs, wireless operator,
W/O William Ernest Douglas, air gunner.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III in Tongerlo: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1943 at 0345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK760
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Tongerlo
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 Oakington at 2331LT on April 10 on an operation to Frankfurt. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Tongerlo. Five crew members were killed and two others evaded.
Crew:
S/L Humphrey William Albert Chesterman, pilot, †
Sgt D. Ferguson, flight engineer,
Sgt S. J. Moore, navigator,
Sgt Walter Moore, observer, †
Sgt Ernest Tolson, observer, †
Sgt Leslie Ellis, wireless operator, †
Sgt Bernard Stanley George Bugg, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Helchteren: 8 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF448
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Location:
Helchteren
Limburg
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 Bourn at 1825LT on an operation to Cologne. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Helchteren. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Owen Cecil Chave, pilot,
Sgt Alfred Arthur Self,
Sgt James Falshaw Cook,
F/O John Neville Muir,
F/Sgt Lewis Lee Gladwin,
Sgt Thomas Frederick Stocks,
F/O William Alexander Archibald,
Sgt James Ernest Nicholls, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Hamont-Achel: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1943 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED488
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Location:
Hamont-Achel
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 1826LT on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base in the evening, while overflying Belgium, it was attacked by a German fighter. The crew decided to abandon the airplane and bailed out. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near a farm. Four crew members were rescued and became PoW while three others were killed. According to the RAF, two of them were killed during the attack while the third was killed as his parachute failed to open properly.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/O David Allan Power, pilot, †
Sgt David Norman Clark, flight engineer,
F/O Thomas Henry Louis Church, navigator,
Sgt Ronald Arthur Holland, bomb aimer,
Sgt Victor John Mitchell, wireless operator,
F/Lt Jack Matthew Bousfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Stanley David Beadon, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1942 at 2324 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ606
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wickenby - Wickenby
Location:
Wintershoven
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 Wickenby at 1842LT on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Wintershoven. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Bayley, pilot,
Sgt Geoffrey Charles Willis, navigator,
Sgt Alec Gordon Willans, navigator,
F/O Jack Johannesen, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Edward Freese Martin, air gunner,
F/Sgt Edmund St Aubin Richardson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Rosmeer: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1942 at 2247 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1216
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Rosmeer
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1900LT on an operation to Aachen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rosmeer. Three crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Fraser Edwards, pilot, †
Sgt M. A. Mead,
Sgt George Green, flight engineer, †
F/Sgt Gordon H. Mellor, observer,
F/Sgt R. G. Hawthorn,
Sgt D. C Giddens,
Sgt H. J. Richards,
Sgt Norman Tolson McMaster. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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