Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While on a supply mission, the crew lost his orientation and was unable to localize his position due to weather deterioration. Few minutes later, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. All four crew members decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed near RAF Newmarket. All four crew members parachuted to safety.

Probable cause:

Pilot disorientation and fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Rhenen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 2355 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W7763

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1854LT on an operation to Osnabrück. While returning to base at the end of the evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rhenen. An air gunner was killed while six other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Walker Stewart, pilot,
Sgt James Charles Mackie, flight engineer,
Sgt Gilbert Bryce Anderson, navigator,
P/O Edward Eggertson, bomb aimer,
Sgt Norman Edwin Brown, wireless operator,
Sgt Francis Anthony McCluskey, air gunner, †
Sgt Archibald Marshall Eldes Moodie, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 2324 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W1189

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1912LT on an operation to Osnabrück. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Ameland Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt James Porter, pilot,
Sgt P. B. J. Butcher, flight engineer,
P/O R. Whitelock, navigator,
P/O A. G. Richards, bomb aimer,
F/O B. C. H. King, bomb aimer,
Sgt R. Carson, air gunner,
F/Sgt B. J. Hardesty, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 2322 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK313

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1901LT on an operation to Osnabrück. Over the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O L. I. Smith, pilot,
P/O R. L. Albery,
Sgt R. C. Loombe,
P/O D. W. Lennard,
Sgt J. Hockenhull.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 2304 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

DF639

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall on an operation to Osnabrück. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Slagharen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt G. W. Rhodes, pilot,
Sgt Walter John Howes, observer,
F/Sgt John Forman, wireless operator,
Sgt G. Slater, air gunner,
Sgt J. Forbes, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

W4188

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Waddington on an operation to Osnabrück. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the city. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Ian Adam Stewart, pilot,
Sgt Charles Duncan Shepherd, flight engineer,
F/O Patrick Hugh Ryan, observer,
F/Sgt Claude Henry Rufus Leyshon, wireless operator,
P/O Charles Hanbury Williams, wireless operator,
P/O John Edward Corrie, air gunner,
F/Sgt Leonard Harry Mutter, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Princetown: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK281

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Grimsby - Grimsby

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 1857LT on October 5 on an operation to Aachen. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane crashed near Princetown. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was injured.
Crew:
P/O George Hammond Edgett, pilot, †
F/Sgt K. S. Nicholls,
Sgt E. H. Bastow, †
Sgt J. Bennie, †
Sgt J. T. Hunt. †

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Eastling

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 0035 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

N3755

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lakenheath - Lakenheath

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Lakenheath at 1908LT on October 5 on an operation to Aachen. While returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel and was abandoned by the crew who parachuted to safety. The airplane crashed in Eastling and was destroyed.
Crew:
P/O Ralph Lonsdale, pilot,
Sgt C. Hill,
Sgt P. A. Radomski,
Sgt G. S. Reynolds,
Sgt V. W. Tulley,
Sgt J. Brigden,
Sgt W. A. Summerson.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Wrotham: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942 at 0034 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W7703

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe on the evening of October 5 on an operation to Aachen. While returning to base the following night and arriving over the south coast, it was short of fuel. The pilot decided to divert to RAF West Malling but the first attempt to land failed. While going around, the airplane stalled and crashed in Wrotham, northwest of the airbase. Five crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt M. Hudema, pilot, †
Sgt J. E. Park, †
Sgt N. Gislason, †
Sgt R. M. Reilly,
F/O R. S. Erickson, †
Sgt J. F. P. Behn, †
F/Sgt F. R. O'Neill.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Klosterholte: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

R5903

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Waddington on an operation to Osnabrück and later crashed in unknown circumstances in Klosterholte. Two crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew.
P/O V. G. Miers,
Sgt G. H. Craig,
F/Lt H. L. Fenn,
Sgt Eric H. Hucklesby,
P/O D. L. Cowling,
Sgt J. Burke, †
Sgt Roy Baird Gadson. †

Subscribe to Royal Air Force - RAF