Côtes-d'Armor | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was completing a mail flight from Paris to Lannion with an intermediate stop at Dinard Airport. On final approach, the crew encountered foggy conditions and was unable to locate the runway. The captain decided to initiate a go-around after it passed over the runway threshold at a height of 200 feet. The airplane flew over the entire runway when the left wing struck the tops of pine trees and was partially torn off (2 meters). Control was lost and the airplane crashed 3,3 km west of the airport, between the villages of Pleumeur-Bodou and Trébeurden. The wreckage was found the next morning. A crew member was seriously injured while two other occupants were killed. It is believed that the accident occurred after the pilot-in-command suffered a spatial disorientation.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura in Saint-Brieuc: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed PV-1 Ventura

Operator:

Registration:

AE937

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Methwold - Methwold

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft left RAF Methwold at 0735LT to bomb a viaduct located near Saint-Brieuc. While approaching the French coast, the mission was cancelled due to low visibility caused by clouds. At this time, the Ventura was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in a field. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (464th Squadron):
W/O N. A. P. Kane-Maguire, pilot,
F/Sgt J. Lawson, navigator,
F/Sgt E. W. Goodheart, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt A. J. Galley, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress off Pointe de Plouha: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1943 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-5175

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Thurleigh - Thurleigh

MSN:

3714

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh at 0800LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Over the target area, it was severely damaged by the German Flak, damaging two engines and setting them on fire. The crew attempted to return to base but was attacked by several German fighters. Nine crew members bailed out, seven became PoW and two evaded. An air gunner was killed and the airplane crashed into the sea off Pointe de Plouha.
Crew:
1st Lt Joseph Alex Downing Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Howard W. Kelly, copilot,
S/Sgt Allen Norman Robinson, mechanic,
1st Lt Howard Hisler Pratt, navigator,
S/Sgt Henry Harrison Jones, radio operator,
2nd Lt George Vernon Bryan, bombardier,
S/Sgt George William Green, air gunner,
Sgt Royal A. Green, air gunner,
Sgt Loras Charles Elliott, air gunner,
Sgt Harvey J. Ross, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Éréac: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BJ714

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1715LT on an operation to Lorient. Over France, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Éréac. Three crew members were killed and three others parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Vernon Frederick McHarg, pilot, †
Sgt Arthur Graydon Ingram,
Sgt Allan Cruickshank Riach,
Sgt Kenneth George Vallis,
Sgt Max Ernest Putnam, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Wallace Alfred Lawrence Masterman, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Saint-Brieuc: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

EB363

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

2814

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on an anti submarine operation off the French coast. It was shot down by a four German fighters and crashed into the sea off Saint-Brieuc. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Percival Allan Davies, pilot,
Sgt Maurice Thorpe Denham, pilot,
Sgt Richard Rawcliffe, observer,
P/O Vivian James Wotton, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Thomas Henry Miller, air gunner,
P/O Robert Sword, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Servel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AT189

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Balderton - Balderton

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Balderton at 2240LT on June 18 on a mine laying operation off Lorient. The following night, it crashed for unknown reasons in Servel, nearby Lannion Airport. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Stanley Joseph Beranek, pilot,
Sgt Alfred Edward Charles Squires, observer,
Sgt Edward Victor Conwell, wireless operator,
Sgt Donald Haddock, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88D-a near Lannion: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 27, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1611

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Lannion. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was injured.
Crew:
Fw Walter Majewski, †
Oblt Alfons Gesser, †
Uffz Theodor Grossmann, †
Uffz Karl Krause.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Saint-Michel-en-Grève

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z6163

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bircham Newton - Bircham Newton

Location:

Saint-Michel-en-Grève

Côtes-d'Armor

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bircham Newton on an anti-shipping operation. It crashed in unknown circumstances in a beach at Saint-Michel-en-Grève. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Douglas Appleyard,
P/O Francis Reece,
Sgt William Henry Smyth.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Saint-Brieuc: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

T2220

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane was approaching the French coast on an anti-shipping mission when it crashed into the sea off Saint-Brieuc. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas Donald Kerr, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Percival Tom Fletcher,
Sgt Jack Hine.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 in Lannion: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 19, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

8228

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Crashed upon landing at Lannion Airport after being shot down by a British fighter. Two crew members were killed and two others were injured. The airplane was destroyed.
Crew.
Gefr Robert Altermeyer, mechanic,
Fw Emil Jahn, radio operator,
Gefr Max Schwarzer, air gunner, †
Oblt Helmut Eiermann, observer. †

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