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France
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Finistère

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Guilers: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5360
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Binbrook - Binbrook
Location:
Guilers
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Binbrook at 2325LT on July 6 on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Guilers, northwest of Brest. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Andrew George Gordon Baird, pilot,
Sgt Charles Hepburn Robson, pilot,
F/O William Francis Ward, observer,
Sgt Thomas Oakley Burgess, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Kenneth Charles Amy, air gunner,
F/O Stanley Page Watkins, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Brest: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6741
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
2129
YOM:
1941
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 Dishforth at 2310LT on July 4 on an operation to Brest. Over the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Stang-Alar. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Robert Ernest Kerr, pilot,
Sgt Glyn George Duckers, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Albert King, wireless operator,
Sgt Edwin Wood, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Plouzané: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1408
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Plouzané
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2241LT on July 1st on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it crashed in Plouzané, about 10 km west of Brest. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Bryan Daniel James Kennedy, pilot,
P/O John Ellis Horsfield, pilot,
P/O George Frederick Burbridge, observer,
Sgt Francis Theodore Kearney, wireless operator,
Sgt James Cotland Robertson, wireless operator,
P/O John Farmer Philpott, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Brest: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1343
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2238LT on July 1st on an operation to Brest. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Mervyn Symmons, pilot,
P/O Standish Locksley St. Vincent-Welch, pilot,
Sgt William James Megran, observer,
Sgt Cecil Charles Reidmuller, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Harland Crafts, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Anthony Robert James Harrison, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 in Kermaria: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.88
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
6367
Location:
Kermaria
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Kermaria, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Ofw Walter Oldenburg, pilot,
Oblt Klaus Schade, observer,
Uffz Helmut Winkler, radio operator,
Fw Hans Weiland, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: May 27, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD729
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
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 Scampton on a mine laying operation off Brest. It was lost without trace, probably it crashed into the sea off the target area. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/Ldr David Arthur Smith, pilot,
Sgt John Ronald Butler,
Sgt Gordon Alfred Hadaway,
F/Sgt James Guthrie Leslie.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Camaret-sur-Mer: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1941 at 1525 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6379
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Portreath - Portreath
Location:
Camaret-sur-Mer
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Portreath at 1330LT on an anti-shipping operation. It was last seen at a height of 200 feet off Camaret-sur-Mer, attacking a 1,000 ton vessel then crashed into the sea with its left engine on fire. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Richard Langebear,
F/Sgt Alec Kenneth Newbery,
P/O Jack Richard Stone.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Milizac: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
L7798
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Location:
Milizac
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham on an operation to Brest. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Milizac. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Henry Swain, pilot, †
Sgt Raymond Edward Finch, pilot, †
Sgt Malcolm Bruce Crooks, observer, †
Sgt Victor Marshall Raymond Llloyd, wireless operator, †
Sgt Geoffrey Molyneaux, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. Clark.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Ile-de-Sein: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6302
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
Location:
Ile-de-Sein
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a maritime patrol flight. Approaching Ile-de-Sein, it was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Stanley George Capel,
P/O Edward Walter Thomas,
Sgt Dudley Howard Trotman, observer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Camaret-sur-Mer: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1941 at 1537 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
R3841
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Chivenor - Chivenor
Location:
Camaret-sur-Mer
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Chivenor on an anti-shipping mission. While climbing to an altitude of 1,000 feet towards the French coast, the airplane crashed into the sea off Camaret-sur-Mer. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Frodsham,
W/Cdr Christopher Grant Hill,
F/Sgt Charles Duthrie McPhee.
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