Crash of a Boeing B-17F-45-BO Flying Fortress near Covelo: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 1423 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5318
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Hamilton - Hamilton
MSN:
3857
YOM:
1942
Location:
Covelo
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Captain / Total flying hours:
204
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Hamilton AFB in the morning on a routine training sortie. En route, the pilot informed ground about his position and a little later, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on hilly terrain some 15 km northeast of Covelo. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Joseph J. Weitzel Jr.,
2nd Lt James O. Westbury,
2nd Lt William W. Blalock,
2nd Lt Ralph S. Johnson Jr.,
S/Sgt Paul P. Scheffer,
S/Sgt Ralph J. Sicking.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. Nevertheless, it is believed that weather conditions deteriorated in flight and the crew encountered poor visibility and marginal weather conditions between 1,500 and 5,000 feet with fog and turbulence. It is possible that the crew lost his orientation. The PIC was young with a total experience of 204 flying hours.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X near Gunnerside: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0440 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE553
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Skipton-on-Swale - Skipton-on-Swale
Location:
Gunnerside
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skipton-on-Swale at 2240LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. While returning to base the following morning, it flew into high ground (Swaledale) facing Gunnerside, west of Reeth. Two crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
P/O Fred Thompson Dingwall, pilot, †
F/Lt Leslie Edwin Blight, pilot, †
Sgt Donald Harmon, navigator,
Sgt Francis James Naylor, bomb aimer,
Sgt Joseph David Edmond La Chappelle, wireless operator,
Sgt W. Leadley, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I near RAF Stradishall: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EF397
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Ridgewell - Ridgewell
Location:
Stradishall AFB
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Ridgewell at 2310LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. While returning to base the following morning, it crashed in unknown circumstances 3 km north of RAF Stradishall. Six crew members were killed and an air gunner was the only survivor.
Crew:
P/O Edward Albert Norton, pilot, †
Sgt Edward George Brooke, flight engineer, †
Sgt Lionel Fairfax Furner Johns, navigator, †
Sgt William Christie Beck, wireless operator, †
F/O John Vernon Gustofson, bomb aimer, †
Sgt George Arthur Francis Johnston, air gunner, †
Sgt J. O. Bradshaw, air gunner.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217N-1 near Florennes AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0257 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.217
Operator:
Registration:
G9+FM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Sint-Truiden - Sint Truiden
MSN:
1462
YOM:
1941
Location:
Florennes AFB
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on a combat mission with a RAF Stirling EH881, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Florennes AFB. A crew was killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
Lt Johannes Hager, pilot,
Uffz Fritz J. Leda, radio operator, †
Oblt Günther Meinel, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a RAF Stirling.

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

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0257 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB805
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Péronnes
Hainaut
Country:
Belgium
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 2248LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Péronnes, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Phillip Shuttleworth Johnson, pilot,
Sgt Charles Patrick Baker, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Rowland Stafford Metcalf, navigator,
F/Sgt Thomas William Peets, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Gwyn Fryn Humphreys, wireless operator,
F/Sgt David Jacob Shtitz, air gunner,
F/Sgt Edward Lawrence Armstrong, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Linde: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0237 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4838
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Linde
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 2240LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Linde. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O David William Erickson, pilot, †
Sgt John Grant, flight engineer,
Sgt Leonard Davies, navigator,
Sgt Cecil Rees, bomb aimer,
Sgt George Edward Chadfield, wireless operator, †
Sgt Edward Alec Thompson, air gunner, †
Sgt Robert Albert Francis Woods, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III in Eilendorf: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0228 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EH881
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Newmarket - Newmarket
Location:
Eilendorf
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Newmarket at 2340LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Eilendorf. Three crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Henry Roy Carey, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Edward Beaver, flight engineer,
Sgt John Lewis Roberts, navigator,
Sgt Percy Gibbson Knight, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Maurice Archibald Brady, wireless operator,
F/Sgt William Alfred Owens, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Norman Alexander MacLeod, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III in Schaffen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0222 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BK688
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Downham Market - Downham Market
Location:
Schaffen
Flemish Brabant
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Downham Market at 2308LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Schaffen, killing all seven crew members.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Arthur Mathias Davis, pilot,
Sgt George Alan Ashley Grant, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Wilkinson Dixon, navigator,
Sgt William Robert Howes, bomb aimer,
Sgt Thomas Lloyd Portrey, wireless operator,
Sgt James Alfred Bramble, air gunner,
F/Lt Leslie William Abbiss, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Vollezele: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0220 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE212
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Vollezele
Flemish Brabant
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 Leconfield at 2223LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Vollezele, killing all five crew members.
Crew:
P/O Henry Simon Raoul Lloyd,
P/O William Roy Hendon, navigator,
P/O Anthony Vyvian Harper, bomb aimer,
Sgt Sydney Charles Luke, wireless operator,
Sgt William James Blundell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Hechtel-Eksel: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943 at 0218 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
DS627
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Location:
Hechtel-Eksel
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 2356LT on May 29 on an operation to Wuppertal. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Hechtel-Eksel, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Charles Roughead Fleming, pilot,
Sgt Hopkin George Thomas, flight engineer,
Sgt Robert Adair, navigator,
P/O Charles Kenneth Coker, bomb aimer,
Sgt James Currie, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth George Berry, air gunner,
Sgt Arthur Raymond Tickner, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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