Somerset | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Beaufighter and crashed in a field in Corten Denham. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Oblt Hans Zöllner, pilot,
Uffz Erwin Ehlers, observer,
Fw Albert Amode, radio operator, †
Uffz Florian Piechota, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Mudford: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1043

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Newton - Newton

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The airplane departed RAF Newton at 1900LT on an operation to Brest. While making an emergency landing and banking steeply in order to avoid colliding with a house, the airplane hit a tree and crashed at Manor Farm, near Mudford. A crew member was killed and five others were injured.
Crew:
W/C Charles Eric Littler, †
P/O I. H. Aulif,
Sgt A. G. Allen,
Sgt J. E. Summers,
Sgt F. Garbutt,
P/O L. J. Davies.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z-3 in Shepton Mallet: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.17

Operator:

Registration:

7T+HK

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

2691

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The airplane was engaged in an operation to Liverpool when it was shot down by the British Flak and crashed in Shepton Mallet. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Fw Heinrich Faupel, pilot,
Oblt Erwin Blanck, observer,
Ogefr Wilhelm Schnake, radio operator,
Fw Gerhard Steppat, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the British Flak.

Crash of a Percival P.10 Vega Gull in Norton Fitzwarren: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Percival P.10 Vega Gull

Operator:

Registration:

X9435

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Norton Fitzwarren - Towyn

MSN:

K.52

YOM:

1937

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The crew departed Norton Manor Camp located in Norton Fitzwarren, on a liaison flight to Towyn, north of Wales. Just after takeoff, the airplane crashed for unknown reasons. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Victor Noel Buchan, pilot,
AC1 Leslie Charles Kell, wireless operator.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Simonsbath: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1940 at 0500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R3168

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

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The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1930LT on September 29 on an operation to Leipzig. It ran out of fuel and crashed at 0500LT in Simonsbath, Somerset. The air gunner was killed and five other occupants were injured.
Crew:
P/O F. H. Denton,
Sgt A. A. Orrock,
Sgt J. F. Farquhar,
Sgt L. A. Hayter,
Sgt A. E. White,
P/O Edward Arthur Jelley, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.

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

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1940 at 0445 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X2914

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Finningley - Finningley

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The airplane departed RAF Finningley in the evening of September 26 on a mine laying mission. While returning the following morning, it ran out of fuel. There was thick mist at the time and the pilot thought he was over the water, the liferaft was found in the field nearby. When he emerged from the mist he was very close to the ground and crash landed in a field located in Chilton Polden. The pilot was uninjured while three other crew members were killed after they parachuted at very low level prior to the crash.
Crew:
Sgt Wally Huggins, pilot,
Sgt Eric Henry William Shelfer, pilot, †
Sgt Bernard Harvey, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt James Joseph Aloysius Bogue, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Emergency landing due to a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth in Yeovil

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1940

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth

Operator:

Registration:

AV983

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Bristol - Yeovil

MSN:

7030

YOM:

1934

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On approach to Yeovil-Westland Airport, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances near Western Avenue. The pilot escaped.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Castle Cary

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

K8819

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The crew was performing a night training exercise when both engines failed following a fuel exhaustion. Due to poor visibility caused by night and clouds, the crew was unable to locate his exact position so both pilots decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The Anson crashed in a field located in Castle Cary, Somerset, and was destroyed while both crewmen were uninjured.
Crew:
F/O Charles Sydney Harold Richardson,
P/O David John Bain.

Probable cause:

Crew lost his orientation in poor visibility and eventually, both engines failed due to a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon I in Weston-Super-Mare

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1939

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.84 Dragon

Operator:

Southern Airways - UK

Registration:

G-ACJT

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bristol - Cardiff

MSN:

6043

YOM:

1933

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Shortly after take off from Bristol-Filton Airport, the pilot encountered an hazardous situation and was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a field located in Weston-Super-Mare. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was seriously injured. He died few hours later from injuries sustained.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Simonsbath: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

N5084

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Harwell - Harwell

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The crew was performing a night cross-country flight out from RAF Harwell. En route, the twin engine aircraft crashed on hilly terrain in Simonsbath. The wreckage was found 40 hours later in the Exmoor National Park. All five crewmen were killed.
Crew (148th Squadron):
F/O Thomas William Storey, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Robert Moss, observer,
Sgt Gerald Roland Cecil Talbot, observer,
AC1 Arthur John Whittaker, wireless operator and gunner,
AC2 Frederick Challenger Overall.