Military aircraft crashes in the south west Midlands - 1940

Details of the crashes and the names of the aircrew involved appear on this page. Please contact us if you are related to somebody on the list, or know of a photograph of them. If original photographs or papers are still in the family, we can help to caption photographs and explain the codes and nicknames that were used at the time. We appreciate the opportunity to copy original material for the museum's archive.

The Midland Aircraft Recovery Group has found the sites of many of the crashes, but we are still looking for a significant number, so we'd like to hear from anyone who can pinpoint a crash that we've listed. We are always looking for photographs, log books and anecdotes relevant to the units based in the Midlands.

The details below are have been compiled from numerous sources of information in the public domain over many years. We've done our best, but errors are inevitable. Please contact us if you have more accurate information on any of the crashes or people listed, or can add the names of crew that we haven't traced. Thank you.

10/01/1940 Audax K8332 of 3 FTS crashed in forced landing in the Pendock area.

05/02/1940 Shark K5651 of 2 AACU was abandoned near Kenilworth when lost in fog.  Pilot S/L R J Wilcox and W/T operator A C Verrier were unhurt.

06/03/1940 Whitley K7243 was Armstrong-Whitworth’s development aircraft for the Deerhound engine.  It crashed at Baginton attempting to take off with the elevators either locked or incorrectly set.  The RAF test pilot, Edward F Godfray, D V Edward and possibly one other are believed to have been killed.

08/03/1940 Tiger Moth N6613 of 9 EFTS undershot a night landing at Ansty.  Names of crew not traced.

05/04/1940 Puss Moth X9439 of 24 Squadron crashed in forced landing at Tewkesbury.  Names of crew not traced.

08/04/1940 Whitley K8957 of 10 OTU crashed at Long Marston after icing up.  F/O A L McSherry, P/O K R Ainsworth, P/O J M Davies and LAC M H Costello were killed.  P/O G W Salzgeber parachuted to safety.  He later changed his name to Salter.

25/04/1940 Oxford P1849 of 11 FTS hit a tree while force-landing at Shenstone near Kidderminster.  Pilot’s name and fate not traced.

09/05/1940 Whitley K7227 of 10 OTU belly landed on approach to Pershore.  F/O D M Strong was unhurt.

24/05/1940 Hampden P1336 of 106 Squadron collided with a balloon cable in Coventry while on a cross-country flight.  Pilot P/O J M D Irvine, Sgt Collingham and A/C Frith were all killed.

31/05/1940 Tiger Moth N6590 of 9 EFTS dived into the ground at Ansty.  P/O T E Crossman was killed, but his pupil was not seriously injured.

05/06/1940 Blenheim L1232 of 5 OTU overshot Worcester landing ground at night and hit a house.  Pilot Sgt T L Armstrong was killed.

16/06/1940 Audax K5145 15 FTS Force-landed after engine failure at Sambourne, near Studley.  Pilot F/Lt J Rankin OK.

19/06/1940 Master N7454 of 5 FTS force landed near Warwick and undercarriage collapsed.  Pilot Sgt F J Haines OK.

15/07/1940 Battle L5768 of 3 Ferry Pilots Pool crashed in forced landing at Bewdley.  First Officer A W
Coombs OK.

16/07/1940 Audax K2030 of 9 SFTS forcelanded off Fell Mill Lane, Shipston-on-Stour.  Pilot OK.

27/07/1940 Hampden P1180 of 16 OTU hit trees at Upper Heyford and finally crashed at Kings Sutton.  Pilot P/O D M March was killed.

30/07/1940 Hampden L4169 of 16 OTU was abandoned after its controls locked on a test flight, crashing at Bishops Itchington.  Pilot P/O G E Weston RNZAF was unhurt.

01/08/1940 Battle L5075 of 18 OTU crashed on landing at Bramcote.

01/08/1940 Hereford L6067 of 16 OTU crashed at Shouldern.  Pilot Sgt O G Day, 2nd pilot F/O G H Thevenard, wireless operator Sgt S N Barker and passenger Ac2 G W Rhodes all killed.

07/08/1940 Hampden P2086 of 4 Ferry Pilots Pool stalled at Honeybourne, attempting to force land after an engine failure.  Pilot P/O A S Malcolm injured.

08/08/1940 Battle L5597 of 301 Squadron flew into the ground at night in the circuit, at Bramcote.  Pilot P/O D Fengler (Polish) killed.

19/08/1940 Tiger Moth T7032 of 2 EFTS hit wires at Tewkesbury.  Sgt W N Davis died of his injuries and LAC P W Spencer was seriously injured.

28/08/1940 Master N7408 of 5 FTS hit a balloon cable and crashed at Smethwick.  Pilot Sgt F J Rosbothom killed.

16/09/1940 Junkers Ju 88 B3+HH Wk Nr 7087 of I/KG 54 hit a balloon cable over Coventry and crashed at Withybrook.  Hptmn Henke and Uffz Rattay killed; Fw Baur and Fw Perleberg baled out and both taken POW.

26/09/1940 Tiger Moth N6794 of 9 EFTS was damaged beyond repair on this date and may be an aircraft that came down in Coventry.  The names of the crew have not been traced.

28/09/1940 Master N8010 of 308 Squadron crashed on take off from Baginton.  Pilot F/Lt Laszkiewicz (Polish) OK.

29/09/1940 Hurricane L1913 of 504 Squadron was shot down by anti-aircraft fire at Bramcote airfield, was abandoned and crashed at Nuneaton.  Pilot P/O M Rook OK.

07/10/1940 Tiger Moth N5478 of 9 EFTS hit an obstruction while taking off from Ansty.  Names of crew not traced.

11/10/1940 Blenheim T2273 of 27 Maintenance Unit crashed in forced landing on Honiley airfield, which was being built.

11/10/1940 Skua L2970 of 760 crashed at Twyning while flying in formation.  Lt A F Adie and AM1 W H Souls were both killed.

11/10/1940 Spitfire P7323 of 611 Squadron became lost returning from an action with Dornier Do 17s over Wales.  Force landed at Cooksey Green in poor visibility.  The pilot Sgt K C Patterson died of his injuries two days later.

16/10/1940 Hurricane P3399 of 308 Squadron hit a balloon cable and crashed at Whitley.  Pilot S/Ldr J A Davies was killed.

26/10/1940 Tiger Moth L6920 of 2 EFTS crashed at Kinver.  LAC J S Bunbury was injured.

28/10/1940 Blenheim R3840 of 3 Ferry Pilots Pool struck a balloon cable in Birmingham.  Pilot First Officer Leonard Satel was killed.

29/10/1940 Tiger Moth N5457 of 9 EFTS hit a tree at Brinklow.  Names of crew not traced.

09/11/1940 Anson N9945 BATDU Hit balloon cable in Birmingham.  The crew of 5 were killed.  Their names are believed to have been Goldsmith (navigator), Donald Biggs (special wireless operator), J Murphy 631909,  G McGeogh 644316 and possibly F P Fry 44409 (pilot).

10/11/1940 Hurricane P3891 of 308 Squadron crashed in forced landing at Halesowen.  Pilot Sgt Zaniewski (Polish) OK.

14/11/1940 Hart K4769 of 9 FTS crashed into a tree while attempting to force land at Whitchurch.  Pilot LAC Norman Dennis Steele killed.

19/11/1940 Audax K7322 of 9 FTS ran into the windward hedge while landing at Hockley Heath.  Pilot LAC R S Richards OK.

19/11/1940 Heinkel He 111 G1+KL Wk Nr 2877 of 2./KG 55 shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at Withybrook.  Pilot Oblt Hans Glawe killed, observer Fw Wilhelm Gutekunst, wireless operator Uffz Rudolf Zeiss and air gunner Gfr Xavier Hirschel all POW.

29/11/1940 Reliant W7979 of 1 Camouflage Unit crashed in forced landing at Long Marston.  There were no casualties but the names of the crew have not been traced.

30/11/1940 Wellington T2893 of 214 Squadron crashed while force landing at night, at Elmdon, after an engine failure.  The pilot, S/Ldr B J McGinn survived. Two airmen are believed to have died and three were injured, but their names have not been traced.

04/12/1940 Hurricane V7071 of 308 Squadron collided with a balloon cable and crashed at Ryton-on-Dunsmore.  Pilot P/O R Koczor, Polish, killed.

05/12/1940 Blenheim T2353 of 6 Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit crashed in forced landing near Baginton.  Pilot Sgt Morawiec (Polish) OK.

05/12/1940 Hurricane L2124 of 55 OTU nosed over on landing at Moreton-in-Marsh.  Pilot Sgt B C Walmsley OK. The same pilot was later wounded after being shot down over Ta Venezia in Hurricane MkII Z3061, on 1 May 1941. He was the victim of German ace Joachim Müncheberg who scored 135 aerial victories in over 500 missions.

05/12/1940 Magister N3824 of 5 EFTS crashed in forced landing near Rugby.  Fate of crew unknown.

08/12/1940 Magister P6450 of 16 EFTS crashed in forced landing near Banbury.  Fate of crew unknown.

10/12/1940 Blenheim L4844 of 17 OTU dived into ground out of cloud at Grimley.  Sgt G W Penman, Sgt A Ferguson and Sgt J Roberts all killed.

10/12/1940 Tiger Moth N9115 of 14 EFTS stalled and crashed at Maxstoke.  Possibly two killed; names not traced.

12/12/1940 Audax K7445 of 9 FTS hit a ballon cable at Longbridge, Birmingham, crashed and burnt out.  Pilot LAC S R Phillips killed.

12/12/1940 Hurricane P2548 of 55 OTU force landed and overturned at Hunningham.  Pilot Sgt G A Collins killed.

14/12/1940 Dragon AW173 (G-AEMI) of 7 Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit crashed in forced landing at Pillerton Hersey.  Pilot P/O Tadeusz Walczak and Sgt T Tubis, both Polish, were both killed.

17/12/1940 Hurricane V7403 of 213 Squadron crashed in forced landing at Norton near Worcester.  Pilot P/O R M Chatfield OK.

27/12/1940 Hurricane N2458 of 32 Squadron crashed in forced landing at Dunchurch.  Pilot Sgt J M Wright killed.

28/12/1940 Oxford N4575 of 2 FTS hit wires on overshoot from the unfinished airfield at Chipping Warden.  Fate of crew unknown.

31/12/1940 Tiger Moth K4272 of 14 EFTS stalled in a low turn when attempting to land Hockley Heath while lost.  Sgt D A Stockton and A Armstrong died from injuries received.