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Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Ridgewell

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF409
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Ridgewell - Ridgewell
Location:
Ridgewell AFB
Essex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training exercise out from RAF Ridgewell. Returning to base on three engines and while approaching the runway, the pilot saw an airman running across the path. In taking avoiding action, the Stirling stalled and crashed heavily. All crew members escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/O J. Overton, pilot +4.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura II off Brest: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AE852
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Portreath - Portreath
MSN:
4295
YOM:
1942
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 1649LT to attack an oil tanker at Brest (Operation Ramrod 63). Over the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea some 30 km off Brest, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Eric James Andrew, pilot,
F/Sgt Gerald Baird McKennie,
F/Sgt Joseph Stanley Laidlaw,
Sgt George Charles Garner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura I off RAF Portreath

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AE839
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Portreath - Portreath
MSN:
4182
YOM:
1942
Location:
Portreath AFB
Cornwall
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 1640LT to attack an oil tanker at Brest (Operation Ramrod 63). Over the target area, it was badly shot about by a combination of German Flak and fighters. The crew was able to return to England but the airplane crashed into the sea while on approach to base. All four crew members were rescued by fishermen within 20 minutes.
Crew:
F/O G. L. Hicks, pilot,
F/Sgt F. J. Bowles,
Sgt Rees,
Sgt F. Taylor.
Probable cause:
Badly shot about by a combination of German Flak and fighters.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura I off Brest: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AE715
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Portreath - Portreath
MSN:
4058
YOM:
1942
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 1641LT to attack an oil tanker at Brest (Operation Ramrod 63). While leaving the area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Brest. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Melvyn Alexander McDonald, pilot,
F/O Lloyd George Girty,
Sgt Robert Clifton Milliken,
F/Sgt Bruce Herbert May.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Cromer: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3699
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Dishforth – Dishforth
Location:
Cromer
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2030LT on April 4 on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was badly shot about by a German fighter. While returning to base the following night, following hydraulic problems, the crew ditched the airplane into the sea some 16 km off Cromer. Three crew members were killed and two others were rescued. The airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/O Donald Lloyd Kennedy, pilot, †
F/O Keith Minshull Walley, navigator, †
Sgt Leslie Lester Anderson, bomb aimer,
P/O Dallas Laskey, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Charles Norman Beaton, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Badly shot about by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 2350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED696
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Grossenaspe
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Waddington in the evening on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Grossenaspe, 40 km south southwest of Kiel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Harvey Courtney, pilot,
Sgt Herbert Llewelyn Jones, flight engineer,
P/O Ronald Edward Raven, navigator,
F/O Kennedy Emslie Fraser, bomb aimer,
W/O Thomas Wilfred Telfer, wireless operator,
F/O Stuart Melbourne Hobson, air gunner,
Sgt Eric Sharpe Wood, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 2350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT686
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Location:
Brokstedt
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Snaith at 1948LT on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Brokstedt, 42 km southwest of Kiel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Alan Arnold Emery, pilot,
Sgt Gerald Edwin McDonald, flight engineer,
Sgt James Kevin Barry Veal, navigator,
Sgt William Fleming, bomb aimer,
Sgt William Woosnam, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Sidney George Adams, air gunner,
Sgt Frederick Hugh Austin, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 2345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT704
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Location:
Klausdorf
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Leeming at 2045LT on an operation to Kiel. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Klausdorf, 6 km southeast of Kiel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Joseph Foley, pilot,
Sgt Robert Arthur Damms, flight engineer,
Sgt Harry Bertram John Sargent, navigator,
F/O Ralph James Wright, navigator,
W/O William Francis Jordan, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Robert Edward Goldney, air gunner,
F/Sgt James Alexander Campbell Taylor, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 2335 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4850
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Location:
Sarlhusen
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Warboys at 2042LT on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Sarlhusen, 39 km southwest of Kiel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Cecil Harold Davies, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth William Taylor, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Jack Arthur Holderness, navigator,
F/Sgt Edward Thomas McHugh, navigator,
F/Sgt Alfred Rixon, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Ronald Baker, air gunner,
Sgt Philip Jack William Grimwood, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Dobersdorf: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 2330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7621
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chedburgh - Chedburgh
Location:
Dobersdorf
Schleswig-Holstein
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 Chedburgh at 2021LT on an operation to Kiel. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Dobersdorfer Lake off Dobersdorf. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Reginald Burton, pilot,
Sgt George Henry Joseph Cash,
Sgt Albert John Gordon,
Sgt Edward McGloin,
Sgt Harry Michael Parsons,
Sgt James Hill Strathearn,
Sgt John Broderick, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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