Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mg4e in Tallinn

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
NL+OP
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
2931
YOM:
1940
Location:
Tallinn
Harjumaa
Country:
Estonia
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The three engine airplane crash landed in Tallinn following a fuel exhaustion and was destroyed. All four crew members escaped with various injuries.
Crew:
Obfw Werner Brohn, pilot,
Obfw Gerhard Quernheim, mechanic,
Obfw Robert Füger, radio operator,
Obgfr Walter Nordmann, observer.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I into The Channel: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
R5785
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge
Location:
The Channel
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 2105LT on an operation to Le Havre. After being damaged to the starboard engines by the German Flak, the crew decided to return to England but was forced to ditch the airplane some 30 km off the South Coast of England. The crew took to their dinghy and after five days they ended up on rocks Pelee Island off Cherbourg. Sgt Meikle decided to swim ashore. Unfortunately he drowned in the attempt. The remaining crew were captured and made PoW's and also treated for exposure.
Crew:
Sgt D. H. McSporran, pilot,
Sgt F. Hartley, flight engineer,
Sgt A. V. Cuthbert, navigator,
Sgt K. J. Watson, bomb aimer,
Sgt David James Meikle, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Hey Hardy, air gunner,
Sgt J. J. M. Rigley.
Probable cause:
Ditched into The Channel after being shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
W5570
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Binbrook - Binbrook
Location:
Cologne
North Rhine-Westphalia
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 Binbrook at 2158LT on an operation to Essen. Passing over Cologne, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the center of the city. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Harold Leslie Cook, pilot,
Sgt Rae Rees Frost, pilot,
F/Sgt Colin Alais Fletcher, observer,
Sgt Edwin Victor Pratt, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Findon Douglas Newton, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt William Tripp McEwan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AT218
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Location:
Bad Berleburg
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF North Luffenham on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a wooded area located north of Bad Berleburg. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Henry Charles Weeks, pilot, †
P/O David Huntly Johnson, observer, †
Sgt Sydney Rickard, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Maurice Young Kennedy, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II off Ostend: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5482
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
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 Driffield at 2201LT to drop leaflets in the region of Lille. Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 8 km off Ostend. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Walter David Amos, pilot,
Sgt Ian Mactaggat Mackirdy, observer,
Sgt Douglas Harold Till, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Basil Edwin Whitbread, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Thomas Anthony Frederick Davies, air gunner.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Tufi

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
40-1418
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1418
YOM:
1940
Location:
Tufi
Oro (Northern)
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a regional flight, the aircraft was shot by enemy fire. The pilot attempted to make an emergency landing in a jungle located near Tufi. All seven occupants survived but 47 days were needed to join the nearest city.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Oer-Erkenschwick: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1942 at 2343 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
R9484
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Oer-Erkenschwick
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 Middleton St George at 2102LT on an operation to Essen. While overflying Germany, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a field located in Oer-Erkenschwick, some 5 km northeast of Recklinghausen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (76th Squadron):
F/Sgt Hewart Joseph Lambeth, pilot,
Sgt Richard Ktchen, pilot,
Sgt William Dennis Robert George, flight engineer,
P/O John Raymond Connolly, observer,
Sgt Murray Charles Fred Swain, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Sidney Frank Parker, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Charles Noel Reynolds, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1942 at 2335 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3702
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Nievenheim
North Rhine-Westphalia
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 Honington at 2205LT on an operation to Essen. Passing south of Düsseldorf, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Nievenheim. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Alistair MacTaggart, pilot,
Sgt Jack Walker, pilot,
Sgt Laurence David Orbuck, observer,
Sgt Roger Owen Francis, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Stephen Elmes, air gunner,
Sgt Henry Maxwell Tapley, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Bottrop: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1942 at 2319 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AT190
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Bottrop
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
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 2122LT on an operation to Essen. Passing over Oberhausen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Bottrop. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Charles Marshall, pilot,
Sgt Stuart Woodhead, observer, †
Sgt Frederick Webster, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Alfred Collins, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1942 at 2258 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE421
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Enkhuizen
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
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 at 2129LT on an operation to Essen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in the IJsselmeer, about 10 km east of Enkhuizen. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Reginald Percy Worthy, pilot,
Sgt Anthony Talbot Percy Considine, observer,
Sgt Thomas Hill McGrenery, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John William Wilkinson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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