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

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1015
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kinloss - Kinloss
Location:
Trondheim
Sør-Trøndelag
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Kinloss to attack the German battleship Tirpitz moored in the Fættenfjord northeast of Trondheim. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the sea north of the city of Trondheim. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt George H. Steinhauer, pilot,
P/O Peter Gregory Brown, pilot,
Sgt James Black Dunlop, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Lewis E. Goodrum, navigator,
Sgt Eric T. Meade, wireless operator,
Sgt Douglas Granville Joseph Campbell, wireless operator,
Sgt Maurice Cowan Cohen, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1044
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Location:
Hemnfjorden
Sør-Trøndelag
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Lossiemouth at 1851LT to attack the German battleship Tirpitz moored in the Fættenfjord northeast of Trondheim. Approaching Trondheim from the west, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the Hemnfjorden off the village of Heim. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Neil Ralph Blunden,
P/O Geoffrey Cyril Day,
Sgt William Benjamin Eastwood,
Sgt Reginald G. A. Richards,
F/Sgt Harold Ralph Franklin,
Sgt Kenneth Coverdale May,
F/Sgt Arthur Reginald Henman.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W1043
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Location:
Fættenfjord
Sør-Trøndelag
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lossiemouth at 1846LT to attack the German battleship Tirpitz moored in the Fættenfjord northeast of Trondheim. Approaching the target area, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. The entire crew was killed.
Crew:
S/L Frederick David Webster, pilot,
Sgt Eric Archibald Hall,
F/Sgt Harold Sydney Wheatley,
F/Sgt Aubrey Charles Stevens-Fox,
Sgt Arnold Hague,
P/O Samuel Robert Leney,
Sgt Walter Hall.

Crash of a Lockheed C-40D Electra Junior near Aldama: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 12 Electra Junior
Operator:
Registration:
42-38280
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1276
YOM:
1942
Location:
Aldama
Tamaulipas
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area located near Aldama. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Charles H. Carroll,
1st Lt Theodore J. Corcoran,
Sgt William W. Horgan.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Halfpenny Green

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
K6254
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Halfpenny Green
Staffordshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a solo training flight when the airplane suffered an engine failure in flight. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a field near Halfpenny Green. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was slightly injured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IVF near Sherburn-in-Elmet: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 2330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
N3561
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Church Fenton - Church Fenton
Location:
Sherburn-in-Elmet
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Church Fenton on a night training exercise. While cruising at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the airplane entered an uncontrolled and crashed at high speed in a pasture in Sherburn-in-Elmet. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Walter Hibbard Bailey, pilot,
Sgt John Prince, observer.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. However, the assumption that the loss of control was the consequence of the failure of the oxygen supply or a sudden indisposition of the pilot was not ruled out.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I off Terschelling: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 2330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7454
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge
Location:
Terschelling
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 2020LT on a mine laying operation off the Frisian Islands. In the late evening, while returning to base, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed into the sea off Terschelling. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
P/O Cecil Stephen Churchill, pilot,
P/O Ian McKenzie Cassavetti, pilot,
P/O Joseph Frederic Chevalier, navigator,
Sgt John Mitchell, flight engineer,
Sgt Hugh Dracass, wireless operator,
Sgt Donald Alistair Barham Hume, air gunner,
Sgt Raymond Dawson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I off Terschelling: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 2159 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7394
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Terschelling
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 1930LT on a mine laying operation. While approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed into the sea off Terschelling. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (106th Squadron):
F/Sgt Edgar Robert Dimond,
F/Sgt Henry Chaytor Bussell,
P/O Harold Selwyn Brough,
F/Sgt John Seery,
Sgt Donald Swaine,
Sgt Alexander Currie,
Sgt Francis Alfred Fry.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV in Mijdrecht

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1203
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Location:
Mijdrecht
Utrecht
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 Grimsby at 2128LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. It was hit by the German Flak and while returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel, probably due to a holed fuel tank. All six crew members bailed out and became PoW. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Mijdrecht.
Crew:
P/O J. H. Hall, pilot,
F/Sgt L. H. Houghton, pilot,
F/Sgt J. E. Harritt, navigator,
F/Sgt A. R. Tidder, wireless operator,
Sgt G. P. Wadsworth, wireless operator,
Sgt E. J. Pettitt, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC into the North Sea: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0209 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
X9913
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1945LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. Over the North Sea, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea, maybe off the Danish coast. Lost without trace.
Crew:
P/O Gordon James Maygothling, pilot,
Sgt Francis John Cassells, pilot,
P/O Leo Joseph Convey, observer,
Sgt Frank Graham Bower, wireless operator,
P/O Richard James Cussen, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Ronald Arthur Walker, air gunner,
LAC Robert Frank Rendell, special equipment operator,
P/O Basil Elgar Percy Sadler, special equipment operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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