Country
France
code

Ardennes

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling III in Raucourt-et-Flaba: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 0014 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF514
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Downham Market - Downham Market
Location:
Raucourt-et-Flaba
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Downham Market at 2200LT on April 16 on an operation to Mannheim. Shortly after midnight, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Raucourt-et-Flaba. Five crew members were killed and two others evaded.
Crew:
P/O David Frederick Howlett, pilot, †
Sgt Leonard W. Canning, flight engineer,
F/O Kenneth Sidney Bird, navigator, †
F/Sgt David Eric Roberts, navigator, †
Sgt W. Hamilton, wireless operator,
Sgt Frederick Joseph Knight, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Emmett Jay Longstaff, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1943 at 2356 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE501
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leconfield - Leconfield
Location:
Seraincourt
Ardennes
Country:
France
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 2117LT on an operation to Mannheim. Shortly before midnight, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Seraincourt, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Colin Foley Tozer, pilot,
Sgt Harold Ernest Jones, observer,
W/O Gordon Kenneth Young, observer,
Sgt Richard Kitchener White, wireless operator,
Sgt George Errington, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0258 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE863
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
Location:
Rocquigny
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton Saint George at 2109LT on April 14 on an operation to Stuttgart. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Rocquigny, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/O Paul Joseph Cozens, pilot,
W/O William Gerald Blight, navigator,
F/Sgt Stephen Graham Giffin, bomb aimer,
W/O John Paplowski, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Leonard Dutton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III near La Marlette: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED653
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Location:
La Marlette
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 2144LT on April 14 on an operation to Stuttgart. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near La Marlette. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Reginald James Shufflebotham, pilot,
Sgt Geoffrey Prescott Tyrer, flight engineer,
F/O Albert Frank Towers, navigator,
F/O Sidney Herbert West, bomb aimer,
Sgt John Henry Nunn, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter Henry Russell Hunt, air gunner,
Sgt George Edgar Pascoe, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 0156 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF500
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Lakenheath - Lakenheath
Location:
Belval
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lakenheath at 2157LT on April 14 on an operation to Stuttgart. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Belval. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Dominic Bernard White, pilot,
Sgt Albert John White, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Theodore Willson Foran, navigator,
F/O Lloyd George Vallance, navigator,
W/O Russell Roberts Stover, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Farnen, air gunner,
Sgt Kenneth Sidney Albert Payne, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Le Thour: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1943 at 0228 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
DS604
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Location:
Le Thour
Ardennes
Country:
France
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 0050LT on an operation to Frankfurt. Over France, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Le Thour, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur Brinley Thomas, pilot,
Sgt Milford Alexander Lambert, flight engineer,
Sgt Valentine Robertson Wilson, navigator,
Sgt Douglas Seymour Andrew, bomb aimer,
W/O Campbell Murray Smith, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard Charles Fitt, air gunner,
Sgt Edward Victor Hudson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Fleigneux: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1943 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT806
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Graveley - Graveley
Location:
Fleigneux
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Graveley at 2341LT on April 10 on an operation to Frankfurt. Over France at an altitude of 16,000 feet, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Fleigneux. Four crew members were killed, two others became PoW and one evaded.
Crew:
F/O George Frank Lambert, pilot,
Sgt Anthony Claude Beddoe, flight engineer, †
F/O Vernon Reginald Matthews, navigator, †
Sgt John Richard Jones, bomb aimer,
Sgt Ronald Albert Kempsell, wireless operator,
Sgt Reginald Albert Nason, air gunner, †
Sgt Samuel James Knight, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1943 at 0159 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
W4172
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Location:
Tagnon
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Langar at 2041LT on March 9 on an operation to Munich. In the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Tagnon. Four crew members were killed, one became PoW and two evaded.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ivor Wood, pilot, †
Sgt R. Brown, flight engineer,
Sgt G. I. Brownhill, navigator,
Sgt Richard Hall Warren, bomb aimer, †
Sgt William Garvey Lishman, wireless operator,
Sgt George Sydney Margetson, air gunner, †
Sgt George Mortimore, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Élan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 1943 at 2213 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9149
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Élan
Ardennes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2004LT on an operation to Munich. Outbound, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Élan. The pilot was killed, three became PoW and three evaded.
Crew:
P/O Frank Morton Tomlinson, pilot, †
Sgt L. Marsh, flight engineer,
Sgt D. M. Cox, navigator,
Sgt G. R. Howard, bomb aimer,
Sgt C. Davies, wireless operator,
Sgt James Jennings, air gunner,
W/O Vincent Albert Fox, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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