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Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Schiermonnikoog Island: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941 at 0217 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1063
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
Schiermonnikoog Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2326LT on July 6 on an operation to Münster. While flying along the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Schiermonnikoog Island. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Oswald Arthur Matthews, pilot,
Sgt James Walter Bent, wireless operator,
Sgt Charles Stanley Rutherford Edwards,
Sgt Kenneth George MaCleay,
Sgt Albert Webster, wireless operator,
Sgt William Alexander Strachan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6752
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
MSN:
2140
YOM:
1941
Location:
Heeze
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2240LT on July 6 on an operation to Dortmund. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Heeze. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Ernest Henry Alderton,
Sgt Denis Bradley,
Sgt Stephen Albert Evans,
F/Lt Jack Edward Simmonds.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Upwood

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941 at 0010 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V5532
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Location:
Upwood AFB
Cambridgeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training mission and the pilot was on his second sortie when the airplane overshot the runway upon takeoff and crashed on a building near the airfield. The airplane was destroyed and both occupants were injured.
Sgt G. B. Smith, pilot,
Sgt J. Tippett, observer.

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

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
Z7450
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Detling - Detling
Location:
Gravelines
Nord
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Detling at 1503LT on operation 'Strike'. Approaching Dunkirk, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea off Gravelines. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Lionel Aitken, pilot,
F/Sgt George Thomas Wood, observer,
Sgt John Henry Brown, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Cromer: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD856
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Cromer
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2350LT on July 6 on an operation to Brest. While returning to base and approaching the British coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Cromer. Two crew members were killed and two others were injured and rescued.
Crew:
Sgt John Dennis Fitch, wireless operator, †
Sgt Anthony Stephen Beningfield, bavigator, †
Sgt J. Flint,
Sgt E. C. Atkinson.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Guilers: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5360
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Binbrook - Binbrook
Location:
Guilers
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Binbrook at 2325LT on July 6 on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Guilers, northwest of Brest. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Andrew George Gordon Baird, pilot,
Sgt Charles Hepburn Robson, pilot,
F/O William Francis Ward, observer,
Sgt Thomas Oakley Burgess, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Kenneth Charles Amy, air gunner,
F/O Stanley Page Watkins, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into The Channel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD871
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell in the evening of July 6 on an operation to Brest. It was lost without trace, probably it crashed somewhere in The Channel.
Crew:
Sgt Lynford Colin Crook,
Sgt Norman Victor Edwards,
Sgt James Terris Leitch,
Sgt Thomas Porteous.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Cromer: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD739
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Cromer
Norfolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton in the evening of July 6 on an operation to Brest. It was shot down by a JU.88 and crashed into the sea off Cromer. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Horace Aldridge,
F/Sgt Kenneth Coney,
F/Sgt Ian Malcolm Temple Fisher,
F/O Andrew James Henderson.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Quinton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6476
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1988
YOM:
1940
Location:
Quinton
West Midlands
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While on training exercise on behalf of the 10 OTU, the airplane collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed in Quinton. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Donald Urquhart Lowson, pilot,
P/O Neil McCarthy, pilot,
Sgt George Ellis Buckingham, observer,
Sgt Simon Fullard Drummond, wireless operator,
Sgt Gerald Farbrother, wireless operator,
P/O James Graney, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Collision with a barrage balloon cable.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford II at RAF Brize Norton

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
P8987
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Brize Norton - Brize Norton
Location:
Brize Norton AFB
Oxfordshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training exercise at RAF Brize Norton. On approach, one of the engine failed and the airplane stalled and crash landed near the airfield. Both occupants were uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure on approach.
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