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Finistère

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I near Plouguerneau: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N3665
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Location:
Plouguerneau
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 0950LT on an operation to Brest. Last seen over the target with smoke pouring from one engine and trying to repel a strong fighter attack. Believed to have crashed near Plouguerneau, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt John Francis Bente,
F/Sgt Raymond Exelby,
F/Sgt Clarence Phillip Goulding,
F/Lt Gilbert Gresley Heathcote,
F/Sgt William Henry O'Neill,
Sgt David Glass Penman,
F/Sgt Jack Peters,
P/O Charles Leslie Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I Off Brest: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N3680
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Brest
Finistère
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 Oakington at 0940LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Nicholas Frederick Durban,
F/Lt Bernard Parnell,
Sgt John Henry Martin Pulford,
Sgt Maurice Anthony Sullivan,
Sgt Kenneth Roy Taylor,
F/Sgt Ronald Wheatley,
Sgt Terence Patrick Wright.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Plouguerneau: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
W7436
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Plouguerneau
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 0948LT on an operation to Brest. It was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed in Plouguerneau. Two crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Lionel William Vaughan Jennens, pilot,
F/Sgt Walter Merrill Baker, wireless operator, †
Sgt John Towns, air gunner, †
Sgt Frank Valentine Davis,
Sgt Frank Kendall Lister,
Sgt Edmund Vere Smith,
Sgt John Charles Webb.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Camaret-sur-Mer: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD868
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Camaret-sur-Mer
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1830LT on an operation to Brest. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Camaret-sur-Mer. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth Esler Hall,
Sgt John George Henderson,
P/O Therald Lionel Kaschula,
Sgt Edward Wade.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 in Morlaix: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
5599
Location:
Morlaix
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed for unknown reasons while taking off from Morlaix Airport. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Fw Friedrich Robert W. Bonsack, pilot,
Uffz Gerhard Gawlik, observer,
Ogefr Otto Wittig, radio operator,
Ogefr Heinz Schröter, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Brest: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD921
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
North Luffenham - North Luffenham
Location:
Brest
Finistère
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 North Luffenham on a mine laying operation off Brest. Believed to have crashed into the sea off the target area. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Alfred Palmer Vincent Atkinson,
P/O David McLaren,
Sgt Thomas John Pearce,
Sgt Ronald John Pulham,
Sgt Alfred Harry Taylor.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Brest: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE196
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1300LT on a mine laying operation off Brest. Believed to have crashed into the sea off the target area. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Arthur Howard Gumbley,
F/O Harry Jeffrey Jeffcoat,
Sgt Leonard Dalton Leggett,
W/Cdr Sidney Trevor Misselbrook.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I off Saint-Mathieu: 3killed

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 152 Beaufort
Operator:
Registration:
AW188
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
9895
YOM:
1941
Location:
Saint-Mathieu
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1635LT on a mine laying operation. Flying along the French coast, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Saint-Mathieu. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Mervyn Gill, pilot, †
Sgt Noel Boyd Orr, observer, †
Sgt John Richard Griffiths, observer, †
Sgt James Alexander Cronie, air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111A in Plougastel

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
VA+CX
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
2421
Location:
Plougastel
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The bomber crashed in unknown circumstances in Plougastel, injuring two crew members.
Crew:
Oblt Fritz Hasel,
Uffz Ernst Feller.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88D-2 at Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.88
Operator:
Registration:
DE+SF
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Meteorological / Weather
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Lanvéoc-Poulmic - Lanvéoc-Poulmic
MSN:
0784
Location:
Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed upon takeoff from Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS. A crew was injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Uffz Kurt Sier, pilot,
Arthur Klanke, meteo,
Gefr Gerhard Tiedt, radio operator,
Uffz Johannes Nass, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure upon takeoff.
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