Country
Netherlands
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Friesland

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Hommerts: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1943 at 0018 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
EF343
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Lakenheath - Lakenheath
Location:
Hommerts
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lakenheath at 2215LT on May 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Hommerts, killing all eight crew members.
Crew:
F/O Walter Edwin Davey, pilot,
Sgt Charles Willis Eric Leach, flight engineer,
F/O Thomas Cuthbert Timney, navigator,
F/Sgt Richard Frederick Whitaker, navigator,
Sgt Donald Richard Higgs, wireless operator,
Sgt James Joseph O'Neill, wireless operator,
Sgt George John Charles Hall, air gunner,
F/Sgt Edward Henry Finch, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Harlingen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR658
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Location:
Harlingen
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2240LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by two German fighters and crashed into the sea 20 km southwest of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Gudmundur Arnpor Johannesson, pilot,
Sgt Cameron William Ellard, flight engineer,
F/O William Angus Grant, navigator,
F/Sgt Malcolm Roy Edgar Metcalfe, bomb aimer,
W/O Donat Cyprien Romain Nault, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Roger Victor Clitheroe, air gunner,
F/Sgt Jack Colin Archer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by two German fighters.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Harlingen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JB903
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Location:
Harlingen
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2238LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by two German fighters and crashed into the sea 20 km southwest of Harlingen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Alan Charles Leppard, pilot,
Sgt Denis Norman Brown, flight engineer,
Sgt Victor Charles George Moody, navigator,
Sgt Ronald Boydell, bomb aimer,
Sgt Percy Edward Mellish, wireless operator,
Sgt Frank Moore, air gunner,
Sgt Charles Lowis, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by two German fighters.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Akkerwoude: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1943 at 0252 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9263
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Akkerwoude
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 0040LT on an operation to Bocholt. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Akkerwoude. Six crew members were killed and one became PoW.
Crew (7th Squadron):
P/O Ernest Claude Hallding, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick Albert Painter, flight engineer,
P/O Geoffrey Wragge, navigator, †
Sgt Norman Arthur Peachey, bomb aimer, †
W/O Louis Nutik, wireless operator, †
Sgt Arthur Edward Emms, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Harold Sobel, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88D-1 off Terschelling: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1943 at 1618 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.88
Operator:
Registration:
F6+KL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Amsterdam - Amsterdam
MSN:
430621
Location:
Terschelling
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport on a reconnaissance mission. It was shot down by a British fighter and crashed into the sea 20 km west of Terschelling. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz R. Wolf, pilot,
Lt G. Listing, observer,
Uffz F. Weiner, radio operator,
Uffz R. Becker, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Terschelling: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1943 at 2356 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED521
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Breighton - Breighton
Location:
Terschelling
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Breighton at 2044LT on an operation to Duisburg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea some 50 km northwest of Terschelling. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Donald Ian MacDonald, pilot,
Sgt Allan Keith Meadows, flight engineer,
Sgt Mark Hoofe, navigator,
F/Sgt John Henry Dodgshun, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt James Lowrie Forrest, wireless operator,
F/Sgt William Frederick Jones, air gunner,
F/Sgt William Frederick Allsopp, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X off Vlieland Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1943 at 0046 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE432
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Dalton - Dalton
Location:
Vlieland Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dalton at 2030LT on April 4 on an operation to Kiel. The following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 50 km northwest of Vlieland Island. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Robert George Tighe, pilot,
F/O Howard Clinton Irwin, observer,
F/Sgt Kenneth Willard Rosevear, bomb aimer,
P/O William Daylor Heslip, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Lawrence Dennis Ryan, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Vlieland Island: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 0047 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
HR713
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Location:
Vlieland Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1945LT on an operation to Essen. The following night, while returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea some 60 km northwest of Vlieland Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Robert Hodgson Perry Gamble, pilot,
Sgt Robert Walton Barker, flight engineer,
W/O Donald Leslie Jarrett, navigator,
P/O Charles Noola Black, bomb aimer,
P/O Kenneth Septimus McColl, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert James Hawkins, air gunner,
F/O Edmund Rothell Ray, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II off Vlieland Island: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
DT563
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Location:
Vlieland Island
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2154LT on March 29 on an operation to Berlin. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea off Vlieland Island. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Leslie Jack Cursley, pilot,
Sgt Frederick James Platt, flight engineer,
W/O James Taylor, navigator,
P/O Thomas Edwards, bomb aimer,
Sgt Albert Bartram Boyd, wireless operator,
P/O Robert Graham Wright, air gunner,
F/Sgt Rodney Warren MacNeill, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 2346 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ762
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dishforth – Dishforth
Location:
Nijemirdum
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1931LT on an operation to Bochum. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Nijemirdum. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Richard Earl Todd, pilot, †
Sgt Harvey Martin, pilot,
Sgt John Franklin Gubb, bomb aimer, †
Sgt James Taylor, wireless operator,
Sgt John Arthur Bailey, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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