Morbihan | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

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:

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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:

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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.

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

Date & Time: Nov 22, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

L4194

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Finningley - Finningley

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The airplane departed RAF Finningley on a mine laying mission off Lorient. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Pluneret, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas William Glenn, pilot,
Sgt John Montague Ward, pilot,
Sgt Norman William Hull, wireless operator,
Sgt Alec William Newton, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 in Vannes: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

6N+??

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

2726

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Crashed on takeoff from Vannes Airport for unknown reasons. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Gerhard Nilius,
Hptm Hans Georg Begemann,
Oblt Günter Jürgens.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-1 in Vannes: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

6N+MH

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

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Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

5247

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The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near the airport of Vannes, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
Ofw Karl Sander Karl,
Gefr Kurt Babel,
Fw Helmut Eilers.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 in Vannes

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

6N+ML

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

5455

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After landing at Vannes Airport, the airplane collided with a second Luftwaffe Heinkel He.111 registered 6N+AL. There were no casualties. 6N+ML was destroyed and 6N+AL was repaired.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 in Pontivy: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

M7+AH

Flight Phase:

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MSN:

5111

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An engine caught fire in flight and three crew members bailed out while the fourth occupant, Cpt Wilhelm Schwengers, was killed when the airplane crashed in a field in Pontivy.

Probable cause:

Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 in Guillac: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

3116

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Crashed in unknown circumstances in Guillac, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Uffz Ernst Georg, pilot,
Ofw Wilhelm Siepen, observer,
Ogfr Richard Härtel, radio operator,
Fw Georg Orth, mechanic.