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Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I near Fürstenfeldbruck AFB: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED703
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Fürstenfeldbruck AFB
Bavaria
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 Syerston at 2025LT on an operation to Munich. It crashed in unknown circumstances near Fürstenfeldbruck AFB, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Francis Llewellyn D'oyly Walters, pilot,
Sgt Henry McCullough, flight engineer,
Sgt Arthur Raymond Spencer, navigator,
Sgt Frank Bestwick, bomb aimer,
P/O Gerald Arthur Young, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Briggs,air gunner,
W/O Charles Francis Daley, air gunner.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Dungeness: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK610
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Dungeness
Kent
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 1914LT on an operation to Nuremberg. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by enemy fire and later crashed into the North Sea while approaching Dungeness. Six crew members were killed and one parachuted to safety.
Crew:
P/O Lionel Louis Victor Toupin, pilot, †
Sgt George Bell, flight engineer, †
Sgt Jack Goddard, †
Sgt Howard Kilvington, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Robert George Thorne, †
Sgt D. R. Spanton, air gunner,
W/O Warran Walter Freeland, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Huttenheim: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943 at 2235 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF437
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Newmarket - Newmarket
Location:
Huttenheim
Baden-Württemberg
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 Newmarket at 1942LT on an operation to Nuremberg. North of Karlsruhe, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Huttenheim, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Raglan Davey, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Edgar Howlett, flight engineer,
W/O Anthony Arien, navigator,
P/O Ian James Duncan Brodie, bomb aimer,
Sgt Leighton Mansel Stone, wireless operator,
Sgt Andrew James Feenan, air gunner,
Sgt Alfred Bertram Tarrant, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943 at 2229 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4903
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Fürth
Bavaria
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 Syerston at 1930LT on an operation to Nuremberg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Fürth, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt Clifford Argo Giles, pilot,
F/O Francis Richards, pilot,
P/O Kenneth Douglas Babington-Browne, navigator,
P/O Bernard John Gunter, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt George Mitchell, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Carr, air gunner,
F/Sgt Douglas Forbes, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Champneuville: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943 at 2213 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK697
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Location:
Champneuville
Meuse
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bourn at 1936LT on an operation to Nuremberg. Over France, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Champneuville. Six crew members were killed and one parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Jack Graham Ripley, pilot, †
Sgt James Francis Farrelly, flight engineer, †
Sgt Archie Melrose Reid, navigator,
Sgt Arthur James Bagg, bomb aimer, †
F/Sgt Clifford Burkill, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Elmer Keith Matlock, air gunner, †
F/O Lester McBride Wadman, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Les Souhesmes-Rampont: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943 at 2145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9270
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Les Souhesmes-Rampont
Meuse
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 1908LT on an operation to Nuremberg. While flying over north of France at an altitude of 2,800 metres, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Les Souhesmes-Rampont. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt John Patrick Trench, pilot,
F/Sgt Frank William Richard Cole, flight engineer,
F/Lt Crofton Lustleigh Selman, navigator,
P/O Lee Gordon Gosper, bomb aimer,
P/O Henry Harwood, wireless operator,
F/Sgt William Peel Hudson, air gunner,
Sgt Eric Thomas Beney, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I near Fürth: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4896
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Location:
Fürth
Bavaria
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 2015LT on an operation to Nuremberg. Approaching the target area, it crashed in unknown circumstances near Fürth, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Murray Edward White, pilot,
Sgt Clement Roland Swift, flight engineer,
W/O Robert Harvey Ward, navigator,
W/O Robert Douglas Strong, navigator,
P/O Walter Raymond Affleck, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John William Albert Dorsett, air gunner,
Sgt Jack Neale, air gunner, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Esens

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1943 at 2030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE202
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Burn - Burn
Location:
Esens
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Burn at 1813LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. It was shot down by a German fighter and crash landed in an open field located in Esens. All five occupants survived and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Derek Cecil Pitts, pilot,
Sgt Robert McHugh,
Sgt Basil Gunn Peart,
P/O Kenneth David Tutton,
Sgt Dewielwyn Hubert Dyer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1943 at 2015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT567
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Snaith - Snaith
Location:
Texel Island
North Holland
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 Snaith at 1826LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. Along the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea 5 km north of Texel Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Alan Lionel Holmes, pilot,
Sgt Arthur Regent Harding, flight engineer,
Sgt John George Ramshaw, navigator,
P/O Jack Eric Ulrich, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Robert Edwin Dormon, wireless operator,
Sgt Patrick McAleese, air gunner,
Sgt George Tombe, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Percival Q.6 Petrel at El Aghula AFB

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Percival Q.6 Petrel
Operator:
Registration:
HK838
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Heliopolis - El Aghula
MSN:
Q.37
YOM:
1939
Location:
El Aghula AFB
All Egypt
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On landing at El Aghula AFB, the undercarriage collapsed. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and both occupants escaped unhurt.
Probable cause:
Undercarriage collapsed on landing.
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