Somerset | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

During a training exercise, while cruising in bad weather conditions, one of the engine failed. The crew made an emergency landing in a field in Combe Down. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and both crew members escaped unhurt.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Mells

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1942 at 0300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

DT558

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Rufforth - Rufforth

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The airplane departed RAF Rufforth at 1732LT on November 15 on an operation to Genoa. While returning to base the following night, it was abandoned by the crew and crashed near a farm located in Mells. All seven crew members parachuted to safety.
Crew:
P/O G. B. Herbert, pilot,
Sgt J. R. Mace,
Sgt J. Tremlett,
P/O C. Collin,
Sgt J. D. D. Mackie,
Sgt D. Booker,
Sgt W. Ruth.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-1-CO Liberator in Bossington: 11 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1942 at 1430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

41-23712

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

507

YOM:

1942

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The airplane was returning to base following an anti-submarine patrol mission over the Bay of Biscay. While cruising at a relative low altitude in poor visibility due to heavy rain falls, the airplane crashed on a hill located in Bassington. An air gunner was injured while 11 other crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt William J. Williams II,
1st Lt Lynn C. Riess Jr.,
1st Lt Joseph G. Simpson,
2nd Lt Thomas W. Lewis,
2nd Lt Charles G. Sorrell,
T/Sgt Walter D. Uffleman,
S/Sgt Earl R. Purdy,
S/Sgt Stephens V. DeMaroney,
S/Sgt James Dimuzio,
Pfc John J. Odell Jr.,
Pvt Stephen C. Prekel.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Holford: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

BK310

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Kirmington - Kirmington

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The airplane departed RAF Kirmington to lay mines in the French waters. While returning to base, it impacted hilly terrain in the Quantocks, southwest of Holford. A crew was killed and four others were injured. The airplane was destroyed.
Crew:
Sgt W. B. Woodcock, pilot,
Sgt A. R. Carlton,
Sgt W. H. Macdonald,
Sgt William John Goodfellow, observer, †
Sgt J. K. Gosney, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into Sand Bay

Date & Time: May 3, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3756

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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Engaged in a training flight, the airplane was abandoned by the crew who bailed out over the Sand Bay where the airplane crashed. Both occupants were injured.
Crew:
Sgt R. R. Abercrombie,
Sgt E. Bunt.

Probable cause:

Airplane abandoned due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1942 at 1743 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P5329

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Wigsley

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a mine laying operation off Lorient. While returning to RAF Wigsley (main base), the right propeller detached. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed near Watchfield, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt Alan Herbert Metcalfe, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Max Donohoe,
F/O James Albert Sayer,
F/Sgt George Stevenson Wilson, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Loss of the right propeller in flight.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly at RAF Westonzoyland: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.90 Dragonfly

Operator:

Registration:

X9389

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Westonzoyland - Saint Athan

MSN:

7524

YOM:

1936

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Shortly after takeoff from RAF Westonzoyland, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed near the airbase. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt John Ronald Melville Sales, pilot,
Sgt Hugh Walter Bellingham, air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Weston-super-Mare: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P2111

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Finningley - Finningley

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The airplane was engaged in a training exercise out from RAF Finningley when it crashed in unknown circumstances in the Bristol Channel southwest of Wston-super-Mare. The wreckage was not found. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Allison,
Sgt Guy Trevor Corbett, wireless operator,
Sgt James Abraham Tyrrell,
Sgt Henry William White.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth at RAF Westonzoyland

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1941

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth

Operator:

Registration:

AV988

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bristol - Westonzoyland

MSN:

7051

YOM:

1934

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On approach to RAF Westonzoyland in rain falls, the engine failed. The airplane stalled and crashed on a hedge. The pilot was injured and both passengers were unhurt.

Probable cause:

Engine failure on approach.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 in Stoke Saint Michael

Date & Time: May 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

M7+AH

Flight Phase:

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MSN:

8161

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Circumstances:

Engaged in an operation to Liverpool, the bomber was shot down by the crew of a Beaufighter and crash landed in a field in Stoke Saint Michael. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Ofw Fritz Schäfer, poilot,
Lt Gottwald Gerlach, observer,
Fw Helmut Boland, radio operator,
Fw Walter Krämer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.