Sicily

About an hour prior to his scheduled arrival time in Naples, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to clouds. The radio navigator informed ground that he lost his orientation and he was unable to locate his position. The aircraft then deviated from the prescribed flight path by about 300 km to the southwest. Later, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located 800 meters from the airport of Boccadifalco, west of Palermo. A passenger survived and was evacuated to a local hospital while 24 other occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, there were strato-cumulus at an altitude of 600 meters, fracto-cumulus at an altitude of 300 meters and 5 km visibility.

The four engine aircraft was enroute from Great Britain to Malta. While approaching Lampedusa Island by night, the crew lost his orientation and circle for about an hour when the captain decided to ditch the aircraft that crashed into the sea and was destroyed in position 35 degrees 30 North / 12 degrees 35 East (off Lampedusa Island) at 1934 hours GMT. It appears all 15 occupants were killed. Some of them were members of the staff that was involved in the Yalta Conference.
Crew (511th Squadron):
F/Sgt Alfred Claude Jack Walker, flight engineer,
F/O Arthur Appleby, air gunner,
W/O William Wright,
LAC John Chicken, wireless operator.
Passengers:
Lt Col Ivor Stuart Huntly Hooper,
Lt Col Wilfred George Newey,
Cpt Albany Kennett Charlesworth,
Cpt William Henry Finch,
Cpt Philip Stuart Jackson,
Mr Armine Roderick Dew from Foreign Office,
Mr Peter Noel Loxley from Foreign Office,
Mr John Chaplin from Foreign Office,
Cpt Robert MacDonald Guthrie,
Mr Harry Joseph Battley,
Mrs Patricia Maxwell Sullivan from foreign Office.
Source:
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/36813-remembering-today-1-february-1945-avro-york-mw116/

Few minutes after takeoff from Catania Airport, aircraft hit a mountain slope located near Caltagirone. All 24 occupants were killed. Crew was on its way to Ouargla, Algeria.

On take off, the aircraft went out of control and crashed on the ramp, colliding with two USAAF parked Douglas C-47. All three aircraft were destroyed while there were no casualties. Both parked C-47 were registered 42-23642 and 42-24379.

While overflying Sicile, the heavy bomber christened 'Baby' was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Cancello. Eight crew members were killed while three others were taken PoW.
Crew (98th BG):
S/Sgt Donald Lee Bennett,
2nd Lt Marion Butler Cook,
S/Sgt Edward Louis Fracasso,
S/Sgt Charles Lipperman Franck Jr.,
S/Sgt Ancil Clair Holman,
2nd Lt Kenneth Leroy Minnich,
T/Sgt Lloyd Allen Petersen,
S/Sgt Thomas Owen Varner.

During take-off roll, a tyre burst, causing the undercarriage to collapse. The aircraft veered off runway and came to rest. There were no casualties. Crew from 216th Squadron.

Shot down by Allied fire and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily. All 20 occupants were killed.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was rescued.

The airplane was engaged in Operation 'Fustian' in Sicily. It failed to return to base and was lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Robert Tope Hamer, pilot,
W/O James Jonathan Kunz, navigator,
F/Sgt Hugh Sloan, wireless operator,
F/Sgt James Berry, air gunner.

The airplane was taking part to the invasion of Sicily, transporting paratroopers of the British 1st Parachute Brigade, the 'Red Devils', to a drop zone near the Primosole bridge, Sicily on Operation 'Fustian'. The airplane was shot at by Italian Flak just after the paratroopers had jumped and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea off Catania. All four crew members were rescued.