Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

En route from Birżebbuġa to Abukir, while flying along the Libyan coast, the seaplane was shot down by a German fighter and crash landed into the sea near RAF Apollonia. All 12 crew members were rescued, some were injured. A day later, one died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
F/O Bernard Ernest Lynch Odhams, †
F/Lt S. W. R. Hughes,
F/Lt P. D. Squires,
P/O H. D. Jillings,
P/O R. J. Murphu,
F/O E. B. Knight,
Sgt V. A. C. Robinson,
Sgt D. W. Barnett,
Sgt A. W. Darling,
Sgt G. Stewart,
Sgt J. Dupont,
Lac L. G. Remblence.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Lindholme

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5560

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1710LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. It returned early with failing engines, but was ordered to divert to RAF Lindholme. While approaching the runway, the Wellington crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. All six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt L. S. Mather,
Sgt R. N. Lonergan,
Sgt A. R. Skuthorpe,
Sgt G. A. Tilley,
Sgt P. J. Campbell,
Sgt Dodds.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Buerat: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7915

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

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The airplane departed RAF Luqa to attack convoy of trucks on the Libyan coast. Approaching the target area, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Roy Frederick Joseph Henley, pilot,
Sgt Harold Frederick Dolland Parsons, observer,
Sgt Desmond Philip D'Arcy, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V near Egremont: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941 at 2135 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AM624

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Silloth - Silloth

MSN:

414-2706

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Silloth on a night training exercise. En route, one of the engine caught fire. The airplane lost height and eventually impacted the slope of Mt Dent Fell located northeast of Egremont, Cumbria. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Stuart Daniel John Dalgleish, pilot,
Sgt Earle Douglas Parrish, observer,
Sgt Charles Harry Page, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John William Leadill, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Schoonebeek: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE151

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Coningsby - Coningsby

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The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 1210LT On an operation to Oldenburg. It is believed that it was hit by the German Flak over the target area, and while returning to base and passing over the Netherlands, it crash landed in Schoonebeek. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Reginald Stanley Hartgroves, pilot,
P/O Anthony Carter, navigator, †
Sgt Ron Yearsley, wireless operator,
Sgt Doug Martin, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V near Saint-Viaud: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AM837

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Chivenor - Chivenor

MSN:

414-2919

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Chivenor at 1530LT to bomb a refinery located in Donges. Flying west of Nantes, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the hamlet of Les Bretêches, near Saint-Viaud. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Errington Douglas Rawes, pilot,
F/Lt Ian Wingate Terry, navigator,
Sgt James William Durrant, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Leslie Watts, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Mull of Kintyre: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z6350

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

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Region:

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The crew was engaged in a training exercise to Tiree. En route, the airplane ran out of fuel and the pilot attempted to divert to Machrihanish. Flying in clouds, the airplane impacted a hill in the Mull of Kintyre and was destroyed upon impact. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur John Gearing, pilot,
Sgt John Edward Orton, pilot,
Cpl Robert Sidney Cohen, observer,
AC2 Peter Gibson Woodward, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain following a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland II off RAF Mount Batten: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

W3998

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mount Batten - Mount Batten

Location:

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Region:

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The floatplane departed RAF Mount Batten on a maritime patrol flight with a crew of 15 on board. Shortly after liftoff, while climbing, it went out of control and crashed into the sea some 200 yards offshore. Eleven crew members were killed and four others were rescued.
Crew:
F/Lt David James Fletcher, pilot, †
AC1 Kenneth William Bennett, †
AC1 Robert Cunningham, †
LAC James Wallace Douglas, †
LAC John Burnett Hides, †
Cpl John Humphrey Martin, †
F/Sgt Herbert Frederick Mitchell, air gunner, †
AC2 James Robinson, †
Sgt Herbert Leslie Southall, †
LAC John Hay Wallace, †
AC2 William Watson, †
Sgt G. F. H. Booth,
P/O W. W. Ince,
Sgt H. S. Lodge,
Sgt A. Penny.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V on Mt Simon's Seat

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941 at 2130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9277

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2341

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1553LT on an operation to Brest. While returning to base in the evening, the crew were unable to obtain any response to their w/t calls asking for a bearing. Subsequently, the pilot broke through the cloud in order to establish his position and in doing so he crashed at 2130LT into high ground at Simon's Seat. All six crew members were rescued.
Crew:
Sgt D. R. Cox,
P/O J. F. Beadle,
P/O R. Franklin,
Sgt R. H. Gale,
Sgt R. Kendall,
Sgt White.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Harwood

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9308

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2372

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1607LT on an operation to Brest. Less than half an hour later, it suffered a loss of power on the right engine and crash landed near Harwood, northwest of Barnard-Castle. All five crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. A. Attwell,
Sgt Martin,
Sgt Howitson,
Sgt Turpin,
Sgt Johnston.

Probable cause:

Loss of power on the right engine in flight.

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