Morbihan | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Crashed for unknown reasons just after takeoff from Vannes Airport. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Oblt Walter Heyd, pilot,
Uffz Leo von Stieglitz, observer,
Uffz Alfred Heimann, mechanic,
Gefr Eduard Lacina, air gunner,
Joachim Gottzmann, inspector.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Lorient: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

V6122

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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Crashed for unknown reasons into the sea off Lorient. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Charles Edward Greville-Heygate, pilot,
P/O Geoffrey Troup, observer,
Sgt Charles Holt Naylor, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Lorient: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

V6087

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1110LT on an anti-shipping operation of the French coast. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Lorient, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Dennis Trevelyan Herrick, pilot,
Sgt Gordon Francis Wilson Gahagan,
Sgt George Leonard Wells.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 near Vannes: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

6865

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The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Vannes, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
Lt Wolfram Kortemeier,
Ogfr Franziskus Kremer,
Fw Karl Wanninger.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 in Vannes

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1T+?H

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

3501

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Crashed upon landing at Vannes Airport. All four crew members were injured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Oblt Werner Plümecke,
Lt Hans Ullrich,
Uffz Helmut Kaletta,
Fw Kurt Gross.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Lanester: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X3141

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

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The airplane departed RAF Lindholme to attack docks in Lorient. While approaching the target area, it crashed in Lanester, northeast of Lorient. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Douglas Bruce Ainsworth, pilot,
Sgt Edward Hulme Battle, observer, †
Sgt Marchant Hemingway, wireless operator, †
Sgt George Gray Smith, air gunner. †

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I in Lanester: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1940 at 0500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

L4474

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

8335

YOM:

1939

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval in the early morning to attack installations under construction in the harbor of Lorient. While approaching the target area, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Lanester, bursting into flames. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Nelson Henry Webb, pilot,
Sgt Charles Maurice Tiplady, pilot,
Sgt William Sidney Plant, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter Milligan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV on Belle-Île-en-Mer

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

T1860

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Wattisham - Wattisham

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The airplane departed RAF Wattisham to attack Lannion Airport. It crash landed on Belle-Île-en-Mer. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Edgar Spottiswoode Humphreys,
Sgt Geoffrey Royson Griggs,
Sgt Leonard Frederick Brand.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I in La Trinité-sur-Mer: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

L4463

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Eval -Saint Eval

MSN:

8324

YOM:

1939

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The airplane departed RAF Saint Eval at 2300LT on an operation to Bordeaux. While overflying Vannes at night, it was shot down by the German Flak and crash landed in La Trinité-sur-Mer. A crew was killed, a second evaded and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Douglas Archibald George Matthews, pilot, †
Sgt John Roy Massey,
W/O Charles Arthur Ayres,
W/O Archibald Hammond Hastie.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P-2 near Lorient

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1G+??

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1360

YOM:

1936

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The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing near Lorient. All four crew members evacuated safely, among them one was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Uffz Walter Zapf, air gunner, +3.