Crashes
Aircraft crashes in North Lincolnshire 1938-57 (with later additions) originally compiled
between 2007/2020 by Flt Lt J. Rennison (retired), last reviewed 1.1.2020
| Date | Aircraft Type & Details | Unit & Service | Incident Details | Air-crew, Casualties & Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15.6.38. | Tiger Moth L6910 | 4 ERFTS | Stalled and spun into the Humber |
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| 8.8.38. | Anson K8831 | 233 Sqn | Pilot lost control in cloud and aircraft flew into the sea off the Humber |
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| 23.1.39. | Blenheim I K7081 | 144 Sqn | Crashed in forced landing near Kirton Lindsey, following engine failure. |
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| 27.10.39. | Anson N5204 PG-N | 608 Sqn | Shot down in error by Hurricane (from RAF Digby) near the Humber Light ship. | P/O A Baird (m/k), Flt/Lt G Garnet (k), Cpl R Wilson (k) and AC.2 Smith (k). The bodies of Smith and Wilson were picked up by HMS Stork.r |
| 11.11.39. | Hampden L4186 (ZN-T) | 106 Sqn | Stalled in turn at 200 feet, whilst on low level bombing practice and crashed at Haxey. | P/O A B Loew (s) and Sgt W Styles (inj) |
| 5.3.40. | Botha L6129 | Blackburn Aircraft | Dived into ground at Flixborough whilst on test flight | F/O B R Rolfe (Blackburn T/Pilot), Mr J B E Johnson (Blackburn FTO) |
| 20.3.40. | Hampden L4137 (PL-?) | 144 Sqn | Dived into the ground near Scotter, Scunthorpe, whilst on cross country flight at night. (The aircraft only had a crew of three). | F/O R H Bullard-Davies (k); Sgt A Woodward (k); LAC D G Doughty (k). |
| 22.4.40. | Hampden L4143 | 144 Sqn | Crashed at 1415 hours at Kirton Lindsey, whilst on air test. | P/O A Robson (inj); AC.1 Elcoat (inj) |
| 26/27.6.40. | Heinkel III (5J+BL) | 3/KG4 | Shot down off the Humber by P/O R Smith and P/O R Marples of 616 Sqn, as a result of attacks over Withernsea at 0017 hours. | Hpt Heinz Schroder (k); Lt Helmut Furcht (k), Ofw Martin Hartel (k) and Fw Eugen Seitz (k). Two bodies (one being Furcht’s) were recovered by HMS Brazen some days later and were buried at sea. |
| 30.6.40. | Hampden P4337 | 61 Sqn | Whilst on a test flight, the aircraft struck H/T cables at 1555 hours and crashed at Torksey. It was later written off. | F/O P de Mestre and crew (s). |
| 10.7.40. | Hurricane P3359 (SW-?) | 253 Sqn | Pilot lost control in bad weather, whilst on a dawn patrol and crashed near Irby on Humber. | Sgt I C C Clenshaw (k) rests at Kelvedon in Essex. Clenshaw is listed as the first RAF casualty of the Battle of Britain |
| 25.7.40. | Spitfire I P9325 (ZD-?) | 222 Sqn | Aircraft force landed four miles north west of Kirton Lindsey out of fuel, after combat with He.III off Mablethorpe at 0700 hours. The aircraft was repairable. | F/O J W Cutts (s) |
| 25.7.40. | Spitfire P9443 (ZD-?) | 222 Sqn | Damaged by return fire from HeIII engaged off Mablethorpe (see above). Aircraft managed to return to base damage repairable. | P/O T A Vigors (s) |
| 31/7-1/8.40. | Battle I L5568 | 12 Sqn | Whilst returning from a bombing op’ to the Channel ports, the aircraft was shot down by a friendly night fighter (from 29 Sqn) at Anderby creek, near Skegness. | F/O B E Moss (k), Sgt B C Long (k) and Sgt T J Radley (k). |
| 7.8.40 | Hampden I L4187 (ZN-U) | 106 Sqn | Dived into the ground at night at Owston Ferry. It is possible that the pilot lost control after being dazzled by searchlights. | Sgt R F Wilson (k); Sgt A S Dalgress (k); Sgt W C Goldsmith (k); Sgt D K mills (k). |
| 4.9.40. | Defiant I N1628 (PS-?) | 264 Sqn | Crashed during a night patrol from Kirton Lindsey, at 2130 hours near Northorpe west of Grimsby. | F/O D K C O’Malley (k) and Sgt L A W Rasmussen (RNZAF) (k) both rest in Kirton Lindsey Cemetery. |
| 16.9.40. | Lysander P1724 (SY-?) | 613 Sqn | Crashed in a field at Scothern after engine failure. | P/O H Tudge (s) and Sgt Bell (s). |
| 24.9.40. | Spitfire I N3058 (QJ-? or YQ-?) | 616 Sqn | Forced landing near Kirton Lindsey out of fuel at 1900 hours, on return from Duxford. Aircraft damaged but repairable. | P/O J H Rowden (s) |
| 5.10.40. | Spitfire L1001 (QJ-? or YQ-?) | 616 Sqn | Nosed over on landing at Kirton Lindsey after the port undercarriage leg collapsed (pilot caught undercarriage lever). Aircraft repairable. | Sgt K A Wilkinson (s) |
| 5.10.40. | Defiant L7035 (EW-?) | 307 Sqn | Undercarriage collapsed while taxying at Kirton Lindsey at 1600 hrs. Aircraft was epairable. | Sgt B Malinowski PAF and LAC Ostrowski PAF (s). Malinowski later served with 43 and 302 Sqn’s and The Polish Fighting Team. He was awarded the DFC and survived the war with three confirmed victories and one probable. |
| 14.10.40. | Spitfire X4330 (YQ-G) | 616 Sqn | Unable to lower undercarriage and crash landed at Kirton at 1607 hours. Aircraft repairable. | Sgt R V Hogg (s). |
| 18.10.40. | Spitfire I N3066 (YQ-?) | 616 Sqn | Aircraft made a forced landing at Broughton after running out of fuel. Aircraft repairable | Sgt R Ivey (s) |
| 21.10.40 | Whitley P5058 (GE-F) | 58 Sqn | Took off at 1800 hours (20th) from Linton On Ouse for raid on the Skoda Armament Works at Plzen in Czechoslovakia. On the return flight it was possibly hit by friendly anti-aircraft fire and ditched in the River Humber north of Scunthorpe at 0540 hours. Crew spent 3 hours in dinghy before being rescued | F/O B Brooke (inj), Sgt C S Halley (RAAF) (s), Sgt Henderson (s), Sgt Greene and Sgt Duncan (s). (Brooke, Halley and Henderson had been involved in another crash landing only six days earlier, just to the north-east of Driffield). |
| 23.10.40. | Spitfire X4175 (YQ-?) | 66 Sqn | Pilot misjudged his approach and made a heavy landing tearing off an undercarriage leg and damaging the wings. Aircraft repairable. | Sgt S Wilson (s) |
| 28.10.40. | Spitfire I (YQ-?) | 616 Sqn | Aircraft made a downwind landing at Kirton Lindsey and overturned at 1313 hrs. The aircraft was repairable. | P/O ‘Nip’ Hepple (s) |
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Full list of North Lincolnshire crashes is available after contact with nlahc@outlook.com