Cornwall

Shortly after take off from RAF Portreath, while in initial climb, the aircraft crashed into the sea one mile off shore. The aircraft sank and all 12 crew members were killed.

Shortly after a night take off from RAF Saint Mawgan, en route from Florida to RAF Seething, Norfolk, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. All 11 crew members were killed.
Crew (448th BG):
2nd Lt Lewis B. Cowherd,
2nd Lt John E. Cox,
T/Sgt Douglas E. Du Verger,
2nd Lt Robert E. Farrington,
S/Sgt Keith E. Goar,
S/Sgt George H. Guild,
2nd Lt Joseph F. Hurstel,
S/Sgt Wayne Jolley,
S/Sgt Allen F. Schuhsler,
T/Sgt Richard J. Stasiak,
S/Sgt Albert Yamsek.

The aircraft was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the Biscay Bay on a SAR mission following the recent crash of a BOAC DC-3. En route, the seaplane was attacked by eight German Junkers JU.88. Despite the situation and damages, the pilot was able to leave the combat zone and flew back to the UK. While approaching the coast of Cornwall, the captain decided to ditch the airplane few hundred yards off Praa Sands. A flight engineer was killed while all 10 other occupants escaped unhurt. The aircraft was later wrecked by tides and waves.
Crew (461th Squadron):
F/Lt Colin Braidwood Walker, pilot,
P/O Wilbur James Dowling, copilot,
P/O James Collier Amiss, copilot,
Sgt Edward Charles Ernest Miles, flight engineer, †
Sgt Phillip Kelvin Turner, flight engineer,
Sgt Louis Stanley Watson, mechanic,
P/O Kenneth Macdonald Simpson, navigator,
F/Sgt Alfred Eric Fuller, air gunner,
F/Sgt Sydney Frederick Miller, air gunner,
Sgt Albert Lane, air gunner,
F/Sgt Ray Marston Goode, air gunner.

The airplane was dispatched from Pembroke Dock on an Air Sea Rescue operation after an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley registered BD282 crashed in the Celtic Sea southwest of the Isles of Scilly. Attempting to land in cross wind along the heavy swell, the Sunderland was suddenly hurled into the air by an unseen cross-swell and before full control could be regained it dove into an approaching wave and crashed. The pilot was killed and the copilot was seriously injured. The rest of the crew was later evacuated safely.
Crew:
F/Lt William Stodart Espie Dods, pilot, †
F/O Raleigh De Visme Gipps, copilot,
F/O Vernon Howard Dyason,
F/O Arthur Roy Tegart,
P/O Donald Arthur Sinclair,
F/Sgt Wallace Mackie,
F/Sgt Rees,
F/Sgt Howard Sidney Webb,
Sgt Herbert Sydney Dhu,
Sgt Thomas Patrick Druhan,
Sgt Alfred Joel Taylor.

The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2039LT on April 13 on an operation to La Spezia. While returning to base the following morning, it was ditched into the sea off the Isles of Scilly. The crew were in their dinghy for 63 hours before being taken aboard a high speed launch.
Crew:
F/O M. E. Chivers, pilot,
Sgt E. A. Vale,
Sgt V. A. Rimmer,
Sgt M. James,
Sgt D. G. Shea,
Sgt S. A. White,
Sgt E. G. Smith, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 2031LT on April 13 on an operation to La Spezia. It was hit by the German Flak and forced to ditch in the English Channel off Falmouth, Cornwall. For the next 33 hours the Lancaster remained afloat but during an attempted salvage operation, the bomber sank. All seven crew members were unhurt and rescued.
Crew:
Sgt J. S. Stoneman, pilot,
Sgt T. Stanley,
P/O D. C. Elder,
P/O C. E. Bryan,
F/Sgt J. Flynn,
Sgt S. Dixon,
F/Sgt J. H. McMahon, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 1640LT to attack an oil tanker at Brest (Operation Ramrod 63). Over the target area, it was badly shot about by a combination of German Flak and fighters. The crew was able to return to England but the airplane crashed into the sea while on approach to base. All four crew members were rescued by fishermen within 20 minutes.
Crew:
F/O G. L. Hicks, pilot,
F/Sgt F. J. Bowles,
Sgt Rees,
Sgt F. Taylor.

The airplane departed Marrakech Airport on a flight to RAF St Eval with a crew of five on board. Approaching the destination, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crash landed on a beach located in Hayle, about 45 km southwest of RAF St Eval. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all five crew members escaped unhurt.

The twin engine airplane departed RAF Davidstow Moor at 1455LT to find a dinghy spotted off Guernsey Island. En route, the crew was informed about the deterioration of the weather conditions and was instructed to divert to Exeter Airport. While flying along the north shore of Cornwall, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Carbis Bay, 1,6 km off Saint Ives. Four crew members were killed while the captain was seriously injured. He died the following day from injuries sustained.
Crew (279th Squadron):
F/O Edward George Gibbs, pilot,
W/O Harry Robert Bacon, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Lindsay Vaughan Fletcher, wireless operator,
W/O Edwin Pearce Povey, wireless operator,
W/O Robert Michael Long, observer.

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a patrol mission with a crew of seven on board. Shortly after a night takeoff, the airplane struck an obstacle and became unstable. The pilot decided to return to base when, on final approach, the airplane stalled and crashed short of runway, hitting a USAF Boeing B-17 registered 42-29647. All seven crew members were killed as well as seven people on the ground (B-17 crew?).
Crew:
F/O Arthur Hodgson, pilot,
Sgt Nathan Lubin, pilot,
Sgt Harry Davey Vesey, flight engineer,
F/O William Vernon Godwin Yeulett, navigator,
Sgt Francis Harold Griffiths, wireless operator,
P/O Stanley Alexander Christie, air gunner,
W/O Garnett Eugene Taggart, air gunner.
Those killed on the ground were:
J. C. S. Arnold,
G. W. Ball,
P. Johnstone,
G. W. Leadsom,
N. Thompson,
T. J. Williams,
N. S. Youster.