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Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I off Nairn

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Blackburn B-26 Botha
Operator:
Registration:
L6408
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Nairn
Nairnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a training exercise, the airplane suffered an engine failure and was ditched into the sea off Nairn. All four crew members were rescued and the airplane sank.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of an AVro 683 Lancaster I in Yaxley: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1943 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4333
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Yaxley
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on a training flight, the airplane caught fire for unknown reasons, was abandoned by the crew and crashed in Yaxley. A crew was killed.
Crew:
F/O Nebojsa Kujundzic.
Probable cause:
Caught fire in flight.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III into the Bay of Biscay: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED559
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Location:
Bay of Biscay
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 1838LT to lay mines off the French coast. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the Bay of Biscay. Lost without trace.
Crew:
P/O Charles Stuart Challoner,
F/O Errol Clifton Crapp,
F/Lt Richard Alexander Curle, pilot,
Sgt Daniel Last Gooch,
Sgt David Adrian Hart,
F/O Harry Riding,
F/Sgt Garnet Walter Durdin, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2232 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N6123
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Newmarket - Newmarket
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 Newmarket at 2003LT on a mine laying operation. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea some 20 km west of Texel Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Raymond Cyril Going, pilot,
Sgt Emrys Herbert Weaver, flight engineer,
P/O Arthur Mervyn Bridgman, navigator,
F/Sgt Frederick Arthur William Willis, bomb aimer,
Sgt Kenneth Cedric Eyre, wireless operator,
Sgt Francis Barkhouse Stewart, air gunner,
Sgt Clarence Sydney Burton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
Z1620
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Location:
Lamstedt
Lower Saxony
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 Wretham at 1845LT on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Lamstedt, about 60 km west of Hamburg. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt David Douglas Laidlaw, pilot,
Sgt Eric Holdsworth, observer,
F/Sgt Colin Ray Bird, navigator,
Sgt Percival Harold Luscombe, wireless operator,
Sgt Henry Joseph Fitzgerald Gell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Heligoland Island: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2226 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EF333
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Location:
Heligoland Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bourn at 1812LT on an operation to Hamburg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea west of Heligoland Island. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William Ian Moffat, pilot,
Sgt Percy John Elton, pilot,
F/Sgt Orison Edwin Amos, navigator,
P/O Ronald William Turner, bomb aimer,
Sgt James McGrane, wireless operator,
Sgt Harold Sherratt, air gunner,
Sgt Thomas James Caveney, air gunner,
P/O Adolf Philip Meijer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2222 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EF329
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Chedburgh - Chedburgh
Location:
Leeste
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chedburgh at 1819LT on an operation to Hamburg. Passing south of Bremen, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Leeste. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Charles William Valentine Pepper, pilot, †
Sgt Hugh Morris Felce, flight engineer, †
Sgt Frederick Mangleson, navigator,
Sgt Ronald Sidney Allen, bomb aimer, †
Sgt John Neville Unsworth, wireless operator, †
Sgt Alfred Victor Gordon Cridge, air gunner, †
Sgt John William Rider, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2129 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4855
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wickenby - Wickenby
Location:
Stade
Lower Saxony
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 Wickenby at 1858LT on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed west of Stade, some 34 km west of Hamburg. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Rupert William Simmonds, pilot,
Sgt Laurence Burnett, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Ian Victor Heatley, navigator,
F/Sgt Donald Kerr, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Henry Herbert Brien, wireless operator,
Sgt Roy Victor Malcolm Davenport, air gunner,
F/Sgt Archibald John Marfell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Schenefeld: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2116 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BK334
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dishforth – Dishforth
Location:
Schenefeld
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1818LT on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Schenefeld, some 12 km northwest of Hamburg. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Joseph Victor Leo Gauthier, pilot,
P/O Jack Glassberg, observer,
W/O Joseph Jean Baptist Alber Dugal, navigator,
W/O William Clyde Forbes, wireless operator,
Sgt Joseph Engelbert Audy, air gunner,
W/O Joseph Wilfred Maurice Ed Lanctin, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED365
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Location:
Wedel
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 Langar at 1900LT on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Wedel, some 18 km west of Hamburg. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Evison, pilot,
Sgt Raymond Walter Ernest Holley, flight engineer,
F/O Bernard Johnson, navigator,
W/O William Victor Wallace, wireless operator,
Sgt Lewis Reginald Thompson, air gunner,
W/O William Edward Cain, air gunner,
F/Sgt Melville George Delatorre.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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