Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I at RAF Shawbury: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1943 at 0010 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4864
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Shawbury - Shawbury
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training exercise out from RAF Shawbury. Shortly after midnight, while on final approach to base, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane crashed 1,5 km west of the airfield. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Edgar Claude Fulton, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Patrick Gore Milledy, flight engineer,
Sgt Roderick Watson Kerr, navigator,
F/Sgt Edward Francis Murphy, bomb aimer,
Sgt Ross Clive Graham, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter Frederick Bacon, air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Oldfield, air gunner.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Wroxeter: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R6286
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Condover - Condover
MSN:
2736
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Condover on a navigation training exercise. While cruising at low height in poor visibility due to heavy rain falls, the crew failed to see and avoid a power line. The airplane collided with power cables and crashed in Wroxeter. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas J. Ruff, pilot,
Sgt Norman J. G. Smith, pilot.
Probable cause:
In-flight collision with power cables.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Oswestry: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1943 at 0146 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R1491
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Harwell - Harwell
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Harwell at 2146LT on January 25 on a night navigation exercise. While flying at low altitude in limited visibility, the airplane apparently struck a hillside and caught fire, maybe after a fuel line or tank ruptured. Shortly later, it crashed nearby a farmhouse located 3 km east of the village of Llansilin, bursting into flames. All five crew members as well as two people in the farmhouse were killed. Two other people in the farmhouse were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Geoffrey George Ottley, pilot,
Sgt Leonard Charles Muston, navigator,
Sgt John Simpson Todd, bomb aimer,
Sgt Cadfan Edwards,
Sgt Brace Harry Parker.
Those killed on ground were:
Mrs Annie Jane Williams,
Mr Edwin Williams.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.41 Albemarle I near RAF High Ercall

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
P1447
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Shawbury - Shawbury
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training exercise out from RAF Shawbury. En route, one of the engine failed, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in an open field north of RAF High Ercall and was damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III at RAF High Ercall

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1942 at 0255 LT
Operator:
Registration:
BB909
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
High Ercall - High Ercall
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local night training flight at RAF High Ercall. Upon landing, control was lost and the airplane veered off runway and collided with a parked Lysander. The pilot was seriously injured and the radio operator escaped uninjured.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near RAF Shawbury: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1942 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P6959
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
MSN:
9469
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Upwood on a training exercise. While cruising at an altitude of 2,000 feet in clouds, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed near RAF Shawbury. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Wilfred Jowett, observer,
F/O Melville John Kingshott,
Sgt Robert Macauley Masson.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Hordley: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 7, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
X7341
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hawarden - Lichfield
MSN:
6527
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route from RAF Hawarden to RAF Lichfield, weather conditions deteriorated with heavy snow falls. After the airplane has been struck by lighting, the pilot ordered all the occupants to bail out. The airplane was abandoned and crashed near Hordley, bursting into flames. Two passengers were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt John Ernest Moodie, pilot, †
P/O George Kingston Eaton, †
Sgt Brookes, pilot +3.

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

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1941 at 1430 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P1294
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Cottesmore - Cottesmore
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Cottesmore on a training exercise with for crewmen on board. After passing the Berwyn Mountains, at the border between Wales and England, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions with heavy rain falls, poor visibility, low clouds and turbulences. For unknown reasons, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in the eastern slope of Llynclys Hill. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O George Donald Kerr, pilot,
Sgt Ivor Morgan Williams, observer,
Sgt Herbert Playforth, wireless operator,
Sgt Douglas Tatton, wireless operator.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 in Woore: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1941 at 2135 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7T+CH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1376
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by a Defiant and a Hurricane then crashed near Woore. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Ofw Herbert Datzert, pilot, †
Gefr Karl Hennemann, observer,
Uffz Josef Kolar, radio operator,
Fw Erich Neukirchen, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by two British fighters.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly at RAF Cosford

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
X9390
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cosford - Belfast
MSN:
7507
YOM:
1936
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was supposed to deliver the airplane to Belfast-Aldergrove Airport. Shortly after takeoff from RAF Cosford, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed. Both crew members were injured.
Crew:
F/Lt C. W. Francis,
F/Lt A. K. Holdsworth.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after takeoff.