Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Alem: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0205 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
DV740
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Graveley - Graveley
Location:
Alem
Gelderland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Graveley at 2305LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Alem. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Fred George Hillyer, pilot,
Sgt Dennis Howard Fletcher, observer, †
P/O Arthur Cyril White, observer, †
Sgt David Stanley Bonner Vincent, wireless operator, †
Sgt Hector Leslie Smith, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Diepenveen: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0205 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
P2116
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Cottesmore - Cottesmore
Location:
Diepenveen
Overijssel
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Cottesmore at 2257LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Diepenveen. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Edward Philip Ramsay, pilot,
P/O William Howarth Gorton, observer, †
Sgt Frederick Harold Falk, wireless operator, †
P/O Victor Ernest Woolnough, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Meiderich: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0201 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5392
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Meiderich
North Rhine-Westphalia
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 Driffield at 2337LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Approaching Duisburg, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Meiderich. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Ralph Connors O'Brien, pilot,
P/O Wilson Albert Reason, observer,
Sgt Alfred Schofield, wireless operator,
F/O Grey D'Estoteville Townsend Skipwith, air gunner,
Sgt William Leonard Waller, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88C-6 near Tilburg: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.88
Operator:
Registration:
R4+RR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen
MSN:
0184
Location:
Tilburg
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on a night mission out from Gilze-Rijen AFB, the airplane was hit by return fire from a bomber. The crew bailed out but unfortunately, the flight engineer Gefr G. Methfessel remained on board and was killed when the airplane crashed 10 km north of Tilburg.
Probable cause:
The airplane was hit by return fire from a bomber.

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

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0157 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
Z1614
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
Wijchmaal
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2359LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Wijchmaal, west of Peer. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Emrys Edwards,
F/Sgt William Francis Crampton,
Sgt Malcolm Boyle,
Sgt William Arnott McLeod,
Sgt Hubert Sproston.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Süchteln: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0156 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1714
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Süchteln
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds in the evening of May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Flying west of Düsseldorf, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Süchteln. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Alwyn Crampton Hamman, pilot, †
W/O Ernest Neeson, observer, †
Sgt Kent Philip Elvidge Monk, wireless operator,
Sgt Roland Richard Harrison, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt William Stephen Hawkins, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Niederaussem: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0148 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7707
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Niederaussem
North Rhine-Westphalia
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 Pocklington at 0022LT on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Niederaussem, some 21 km northwest of Cologne. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leonard Alfred Wadman,
Sgt Norman Acton,
F/Sgt Gerald Arthur Welsh,
P/O George Edmund Sankey,
Sgt Andrew Fraser McLean,
Sgt Warren Bryan Pickett,
Sgt Douglas Henning.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Elsloo

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0146 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
L7802
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Finningley - Finningley
Location:
Elsloo
Limburg
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Finningley at 2246LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. While approaching its target at an altitude of 13,500 feet, the airplane was badly shot about by the German Flak. Fire spread from the right engine to the right wing. Whie returning to base and flying over the Netherlands, the managed to bail out and the airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Elsloo, nearby the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew (25th OTU):
F/Sgt Roy Baker,
Sgt Frederick George Greensides,
P/O Charles Geoffrey Hughes,
F/Sgt Ronald Victor Charles Oliver,
F/Sgt Leslie Ronald Read,
Sgt Bertram Charles Whittle.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Kalenberg: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0143 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1235
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wellesbourne Mountford - Wellesbourne Mountford
Location:
Kalenberg
North Rhine-Westphalia
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 Wellesbourne Mountford at 2255LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. Flying southwest of Bonn, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Kalenberg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Crew:-
F/Sgt Cyril James Matthews, pilot,
F/Sgt Philip Grimshaw Barclay, observer,
P/O William Frazer Caldwell, wireless operator,
Sgt Denis Henry Edwards, wireless operator,
P/O Dudley Arthur Ronald Tallis, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Mülheim: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0127 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7290
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Mülheim an der Ruhr
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2255LT on May 30 on an operation to Cologne. While flying over Duisburg at night, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak and the right engine exploded. Five crew members were able to bail out when the airplane rolled over, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a huge explosion, killing both other occupants.
Crew (49th Squadron):
P/O Philip Nevil Floyd, pilot, †
Sgt Douglas Evans Randall,
Sgt John Ross McKenzie Valentine,
Sgt John Smith, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Frederick Edward Woodrow,
Sgt James Frank Wright,
Sgt Eric Probert.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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