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Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE744
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Croft - Croft
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1950LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Donald Franklin McFadden, pilot,
F/Sgt William McManus Bisset,
Sgt Charles Arthur Boyd,
Sgt Arthur Reginald Dove,
F/O Lawrence Thomas Edwin Sweet, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X off RAF Acklington: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE175
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Dalton - Dalton
Location:
Acklington AFB
Northumberland
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dalton at 1935LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. While returning to base the following night and approaching the coast of Northumberland, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea some 40 km east of RAF Acklington. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John Basil Martyn, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Benjamin,
Sgt Norman Sidney Farr,
F/Sgt Leonard William Hayward,
Sgt John Clifford Donaldson, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE548
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 1944LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur Lucas, pilot,
W/O Hugh Garfield Allen,
F/O Kenneth Flaxman Smart,
Sgt Arthur William Ernest Wilson,
Sgt Denys Andrew, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Vlieland Island: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT563
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Location:
Vlieland Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2154LT on March 29 on an operation to Berlin. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea off Vlieland Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Leslie Jack Cursley, pilot,
Sgt Frederick James Platt, flight engineer,
W/O James Taylor, navigator,
P/O Thomas Edwards, bomb aimer,
Sgt Albert Bartram Boyd, wireless operator,
P/O Robert Graham Wright, air gunner,
F/Sgt Rodney Warren MacNeill, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Nijemirdum: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2346 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ762
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dishforth – Dishforth
Location:
Nijemirdum
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
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 1931LT on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Nijemirdum. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Richard Earl Todd, pilot, †
Sgt Harvey Martin, pilot,
Sgt John Franklin Gubb, bomb aimer, †
Sgt James Taylor, wireless operator,
Sgt John Arthur Bailey, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Barchem: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE385
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Barchem
Gelderland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leconfield at 1954LT on an operation to Bochum. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Barchem. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Edward Richard Culff, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Albert Dew, navigator,
F/O Leslie Duncan McAllister, bomb aimer,
Sgt Albert Charles August Veeck, wireless operator,
Sgt Hubert Roy Wilmore, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Schaarsbergen: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE545
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kirmington - Kirmington
Location:
Schaarsbergen
Gelderland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Kirmington at 2004LT on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Schaarsbergen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O James Robert Arthur Hodgson, pilot,
P/O Stanley Robert Farley, navigator,
P/O Frederick Louis Edward Dupre, bomb aimer,
Sgt David Keenan, wireless operator,
P/O Robert Allen Weese, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Wanroij: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
MS484
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Wanroij
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 1933LT on an operation to Bochum. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Wantoij. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Bruce Angus Grant, pilot, †
F/Sgt Percival Edward Barron, navigator, †
F/Sgt Sidney Victor Bradshaw, navigator, †
Sgt Ronald Dyson, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Alfred George Skiggs, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X near Ahaus: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2252 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE182
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Burn - Burn
Location:
Ahaus
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Burn at 1950LT on an operation to Bochum. After passing the Dutch/German border, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed 5 km southwest of Ahaus. Four crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Ernest Joseph Aspden, pilot, †
Sgt David Trevor Dudley-Jones, navigator,
Sgt John Henry Kimber, bomb aimer, †
W/O Philip Frank Yellin, wireless operator, †
Sgt Roderick Davies, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2249 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ920
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
East Moor - East Moor
Location:
Bochum
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Moor at 1947LT on an operation to Bochum. It crashed in the evening in the target area, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Alan Burini, pilot,
Sgt William Gilbert John Aplin, navigator,
Sgt Joseph William Kerr, navigator,
Sgt Walter Edward Jones, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Dolbear, air gunner.
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