Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2124LT on an operation to Szczecin. Passing over Denmark, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Tjæreborg. All seven crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Frederick Glover, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Sidney Burr, flight engineer,
Sgt Dennis Eric Taylor, navigator,
Sgt Robert Bell, bomb aimer,
Sgt Edward James Philipps, wireless operator,
F/Lt Thomas Herbert Baker, air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Ernest Everett, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Gelston

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1943 at 1525 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

EB804

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cranwell - Cranwell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight out from RAF Cranwell. While flying southwest of the airbase, the airplane suffered an engine failure and belly landed in a field. Both crew members escaped unhurt and the airplane was written off.
Crew:
F/O E. McMillan, instructor pilot,
Lac K. Bowen-Bravery, student pilot.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Langtoft

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1943 at 1811 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5352

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cottesmore - Cottesmore

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed RAF Cottesmore at 0200LT on a night cross country navigation flight. About 30 minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the port propeller came off. The airplane was abandoned by the crew and crashed in Langtoft. All crew members parachuted to safety. Sgt Ryan was the only injury, breaking his ankle on landing.

Probable cause:

The port propeller came off in flight.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I into the North Sea: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

W4849

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Warboys - Warboys

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Warboys at 2121LT on April 17 on an operation to La Spezia. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea, probably off the French coast. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Godfrey Storian Cooper, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Harrison, flight engineer,
Sgt Kenneth Coulson,
Sgt David Roy Edwards,
F/Sgt Neil Owen Robinson,
Sgt James Jardine Vaulkhard,
Sgt Alban Kenneth Eley, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Cape Tryon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943 at 1135 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

R9599

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Charlottetown - Charlottetown

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane failed to return to Charlottetown while on a navigation exercise on behalf of the n°31 General Reconnaissance School. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as poor. An oil leak was found 14 km north of Cape Tryon. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Kirby Bell, pilot,
P/O Clifford John Hamment, navigator,
P/O Joseph Francis Loftus Wise, navigator,
Lac Robert Wilkes, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined.

Final Report:

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Ernes: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

BD534

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bournemouth - Bournemouth

MSN:

2701

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Bournemouth-Hurn Airport at 2250LT on April 17 on an operation to a railway electric station located south of Médizon. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Ernes. The pilot was killed, the radio operator evaded and two other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Roger George Wallis, pilot, †
F/O Anthony Peter Fox Waddington, navigator,
P/O Phillip Whitnall, radio operator,
F/Sgt Edward Hughes, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Ussy: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

DT725

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Tempsford - Tempsford

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Tempsford on the evening of April 17 on Operation Lime 9 (Special Operation Executive), heading for a supply dropping area near Moulins, Ille-et-Vilaine. Outbound, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Ussy, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Tadeusz Ginter, pilot,
Sgt James Henry Aspden, flight engineer,
Sgt Stefan Gadomski,
F/Lt Bogdan Seweryn Lawrenczuk
F/Sgt Jan Kazimierz Mironow,
Sgt Franciszek Ulasiuk, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Lewes

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

DT791

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Melbourne - Melbourne

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2044 on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was hit by the German Flak in the port outer engine and after regaining the French coast, further damage was caused, this time to the port inner engine. The Channel was crossed on two engines, followed by a crash landing at 0520LT near Lewes. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all eight crew members were injured.
Crew:
F/Lt J. A. Wood, pilot,
Sgt Rooney,
Sgt F. Beare,
P/O K. F. Whynes,
P/O G. C. Stepney,
Sgt G. Walshaw,
Sgt P. G. O'Kill,
Sgt S. Prebble, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Badly shot about by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Amiens: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0456 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

ED441

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Fiskerton - Fiskerton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Fiskerton at 2111LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. The following morning, while returning to base, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Amiens. Six crew members were killed and the air gunner became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt David Trevor Penry, pilot, †
Sgt Charles Glendinning Bamford, flight engineer, †
F/Sgt Alan Norris Dixon, navigator, †
Sgt Charles Lawrence James, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Thomas Charles Robertson, wireless operator, †
Sgt James Frederick Fletcher, air gunner, †
Sgt H. W. G. Kerr, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Pontavert: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0445 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

R5484

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Wyton - Wyton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2117LT on April 16 on an operation to Plzeň. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Pontavert. The pilot was killed and six other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Glen Alexander McNichol, pilot, †
W/O George Christopher Mott, flight engineer,
F/O Henry Harold Beaupre, navigator,
F/O Thomas William Lewis, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt George Stanley MacFarlane, wireless operator,
Sgt Henry Richard Willis, air gunner,
F/Sgt Charles Erskine Hobbs, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter

Subscribe to Royal Air Force - RAF