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North Yorkshire

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near RAF Leeming: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1943 at 1450 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1724
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at RAF Leeming. While in the circuit, the airplane suffered a partial stripping of the wing surface. This caused the bomber to roll onto its back and dive onto the ground, the port wing breaking off between 1,800 and 1,500 feet. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Philip Edward Thompson Townsend, pilot,
F/Sgt Jack Wreakes, navigator,
F/O Samuel Spector, navigator,
P/O Ernest Maurice Hollowell, wireless operator,
P/O Kenneth Joseph Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Structural failure of the right wing in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at RAF Dishforth

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1943 at 1805 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ918
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dishforth – Dishforth
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1805LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. It crashed almost immediately after takeoff due to a sudden loss of power from the starboard engine. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
Sgt J. H. N. Brousseau, pilot,
Sgt J. H. Moreau,
Sgt J. D. L. Fontaine,
P/O D. B. J. Hodgetts,
Sgt H. B. Marceau,
P/O T. R. C. Irwin, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Loss of power from the starboard engine after takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at RAF Dishforth

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1943 at 1758 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3364
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dishforth – Dishforth
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1757LT to lay mines off the Frisian Islands. One minute after takeoff, it crashed after running into t a Nissen Hut located north of the airbase. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Sgt L. O. Sutherland, pilot,
F/Sgt W. Suddick +5.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to a failure of the air speed indicator (ASI).

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Linton-on-Ouse

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1943 at 1920 LT
Operator:
Registration:
DT545
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1920LT on an operation to Nuremberg. Immediately after takeoff, it suffered a loss of engine power, stalled and crashed just beyond the airfield. All seven crew members escaped with various injuries.
Crew:
Sgt J. E. Sanderson, pilot,
Sgt A. Shillock,
Sgt J. N. D. Curtis,
Sgt A. E. Robbins,
Sgt H. G. M. Robinson,
Sgt R. G. Morgan,
P/O J. B. H. Morris, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Loss of engine power after takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X at RAF Topcliffe: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1943 at 0040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HE369
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1820LT on February 24 on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. The following night, while returning to base, it crashed on landing and was destroyed by a post crash fire. Three crew members were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Banks, pilot, †
P/O Robert Stephen Borden Worley, bomb aimer, †
Sgt J. Harrison,
Sgt Alfred Albert Wiles, wireless operator, †
Sgt W. A. Sparrow,
Sgt F. W. N. Trowbridge, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Rufforth

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1943 at 2045 LT
Operator:
Registration:
DT640
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Rufforth - Rufforth
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a local training flight at RAF Rufforth. While taxiing, it went out of control and ran into a ditch. There were no casualties among the crew but the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt C. K. Surgey, pilot +4.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the crew was distracted by radio messages.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Kirby Wiske: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1943 at 2357 LT
Operator:
Registration:
DT750
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1821LT on an operation to Cologne. On return to base, and while preparing to land, the port outer engine burst into flames and the port inner lost power. The pilot managed to gain 100 feet and five of the crew bailed out before the Halifax crash landed at 2357LT in Kirby Wiske, 6 km northwest of Soweby. The air gunner, an American, was among the five who bailed out, but he struck the ground before his parachute had full deployed and was killed.
Crew:
F/Lt R. H. Boosey, pilot,
Sgt D. C. Horner,
P/O P. E. Mitchell,
F/Sgt M. Samuels,
P/O P. R. Quance,
P/O D. W. Giblin,
F/O James Courtland Parker, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Engine fire on approach.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Black Intake Moor: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 12, 1943 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BJ778
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Croft - Croft
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew of this Wellington named 'A for Apple' took off from RAF Croft at 1726LT for what is believed to have been a mine laying operational flight. Aircraft from various squadrons were mine laying the waters around The Frisians and Helgoland on this night. Other modern accounts quote Le Havre as being a land target for bombs but this is believed to not be correct. The accident record card for this incident; the Form Am1180, makes no mention of what the target was hence the confusion. The crew dropped their cargo and headed for home but were hit by the German Flak. Before they could land at base the aircraft flew across the North Yorkshire Moors, the Moors were covered in a thick band of cloud at the time and the crew became uncertain of their position on their return to Yorkshire; they had probably flown off course by a few degrees. They descended to try and work out their location but struck high ground east of Chop Gate on Black Intake Moor at 2300LT and all on the aircraft lost their lives in the crash which completely destroyed the aircraft.
Crew (427th Squadron):
Sgt Oscar Philip Edwin Ronald J. Adlam, pilot,
F/O Bryan Dunn, navigator,
Sgt William Charles Ivor Jelley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arnold Charles Clifford, bombardier,
Sgt William Ball, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/43/bj778.html
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II near RAF Dalton: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 11, 1943 at 1839 LT
Operator:
Registration:
W7879
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1808LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the captain decided to divert to RAF Dalton for an emergency landing. The airplane crashed on approach and was destroyed. Seven crew members were killed and one was injured.
Crew:
Sgt Harold Edward Saunders, pilot, †
Sgt Alvah Wilkie Flansburgh-Washbourne, †
Sgt Henry Edwin Amos, †
F/O Henry Farquharson Ley, †
Sgt Michael Norman Reilly, †
Sgt Trevor Charles Coles, †
Sgt Hill,
Sgt Frank Cooper, air gunner. †

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III at RAF Topcliffe

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1943 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DF620
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed upon landing at RAF Topcliffe while performing a local training exercise. There were no fatalities.
Crew:
Sgt A. H. Steen, pilot +3.