13's....

[Lucky13]

Date:Thursday 13 May 1943
Time: 03:07
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/Operator: 196 Sqn RAF
Registration: HE398
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Aircraft missing
Location: North Sea 30 km west of Callantsoog, Noord-Holland - Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Leconfield (EGXV)
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Shot down by night fighter pilot Leutnant Robert Denzel of the 12./NJG 1, flying Bf 110 G-4 G9+HZ from Bergen airfield.

Target: Duisburg
Call Sign: ZO-
Takeoff time: 23:39

Crew:
Pilot : Flight Sergeant Jack Greenfield RAFVR 1315254 [Killed]
Sergeant Kenneth Foster Bell RAFVR 1165211 [Killed]
Flight Sergeant Robert Burridge RAFVR 1385003 [Killed]
Sergeant William Eddington RAF 553011 [Killed]

All members of the crew are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial
Sergeant William O'Neill RAFVR 1367121 [Killed]

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Thursday 13 May 1943
Time: night
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/Operator: 426 (Thunderbird) Sqn RCAF
Registration: HE905
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: near Malmedy, Liège - Belgium
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Dishforth, UK
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Probably hit by heavy Flak of the 2.-4./schwere Flak-Abteilung 512 and 2.-4./schwere Flak-Abteilung 371 at 02:50, at Randerath, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, while leaving the target area, killing the 2nd pilot, abandoned and crashed near Malmedy.

Target: Duisburg
Call Sign: OW-V
Takeoff time: 23:56

Crew:
Pilot: Sergeant Ian Ralph Andrew Runciman RCAF R/94692 (Officer:J/17588) [PoW]
2nd Pilot: Flying Officer Douglas Gordon Fraser RCAF J/8216 [Killed]
Flight Sergeant Olaf William Forland RCAF R/84207 [Evaded]
Pilot Officer Dallas Laskey DFC RCAF J/22525 [PoW]
Flying Officer Gordon Miller RCAF J/11239 [PoW]
Sergeant Douglas Hill Pennock RAF 145721 [PoW]

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Sunday 13 June 1943
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/Operator: 432 (Leaside) Sqn RCAF
Registration: HE348
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Aircraft missing
Location: Missing - Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Skipton-on-Swale, North Yorkshire
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Wellington HE348 T/o at 20:21hrs 12 Aug 1943 from RAF Skipton-on-Swale. Lost without trace.
Missing during minelaying, no further details.

Crew:
P/O Kenneth Reid BOURNE (J/18957) RCAF - killed
Sgt James William NEAL (1601305) RAFVR - killed
P/O Steven NOBLE (J/17345) RCAF - killed
Sgt Donald RUSTON (1022420) RAFVR - killed
P/O Mitchell SMITH (J/18222) RCAF - killed

 

[Lucky13]

Date:Friday 25 June 1943
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/Operator: 192 Sqn RAF
Registration: HZ413
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: North Sea, 30 km W off Katwijk aan Zee, Zuid-Holland - Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Feltwell, Thetford, Norfolk
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Wellington HZ413 Shot down by night fighter during Special Duries flight.
On 24 June 1943, a British Wellington X HZ413 was shot down by NF Ofw. K-G. Pfeiffer of IV/NJG 1 and crashed in the North Sea, 30 km west from Katwijk. The aircraft had departed from RAF Feltwell and targeted the Coast of Holland. All 6 crew members died. 25.6.1943

Crew:
Pilot: Pilot Officer Edward Victor Eastham RAFVR 143096 [Killed] (NCO:1291704 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 11 May, 1943)
Navigator: Pilot Officer William James Herrington RAFVR 160733 [Killed] (NCO:1504265 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 14 December, 1943)
Navigator/Wireless Operator : Flying Officer Geoffrey Sansom RAFVR 129535 [Killed] (NCO:1321019 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 29 September, 1942)
Bomb Aimer: Sergeant Leonard William Smith RAFVR 1351056 [Killed]
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: Sergeant Kenneth Moore RAFVR 1215410 [Killed]
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Joseph Livesey RAFVR 1352400 [Killed]

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Tuesday 13 July 1943
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk XI
Owner/Operator: 458 Sqn RAAF
Registration: MP629
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Aircraft missing
Location: Missing - Mediterranean Sea North of Sardinia - Italy
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Protville
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Aircraft took off at 20:45 for an armed recce and reported a contact ar 23:20, no contact since, presumed shot down by nightfighter or naval AAA fire. Combined crew of Canadians, Australians and British.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Friday 13 August 1943
Time: 12:00
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk I
Owner/Operator: CGS RAF
Registration: P9228
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other Fatalities: 1
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Near Lakenhurst Village, Suffolk, England - United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire
Destination Airport: RAF Sutton Bridge
Narrative: Wellington P9228 of the Central Gunnery School crashed after a mid-air collision with Spitfire P7530 of the same unit during a fighter affiliation exercise.
The collision was attributed to the Spitfire pilot misjudging his rate of closure with the bomber and starting his breakaway too late. A further factor was thought to be a sudden change of course by the Wellington.
The crew of both aircraft were all killed.

Crew:
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant Edward Martyn Shannon RAFVR 86419 [Killed] (NCO:740161 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 05 November, 1940)
Navigator: Flying Officer Gordon Francis Wood RAAF Aus/402980 [Killed]
Wireless Operator: Pilot Officer Robert Peter Townend Akeroyd RAFVR 1006350 [Killed] (NCO:1006350 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 12 October, 1943)
Air Gunner: Pilot Officer Bruce Colin Dreaver RNZAF NZ/40916 [Killed]
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Harry Nuttridge RAF 643689 [Killed]

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Monday 31 January 1944
Time: 01:30
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk XIV
Owner/Operator: 172 Sqn RAF
Registration: MP813
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Aircraft missing
Location: Missing - Bay of Biscay - France
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: On 30 January 1944 the Wellington XIV MP813 'K' of 172 Sqn RAF took off from Chivenor at 2011 hrs for a night 'Percussion' patrol over the Bay of Biscay. It did not return. It was formely credited with sinking U-364 in a night attack in the Bay of Biscay west of Bordeaux, France, in position 45.25N, 05.15W, by depth charges.

This attack was in fact made on the outbound U-608, inflicting no damage. The boat reported that at 0128 hrs on the 31st he had Naxos warning of an incoming aircraft, welcomed it with AA fire when it switched on the Leigh Light and scored hits on the aircraft with AA fire as it escaped by diving. The Wellington did not drop any depth charges, and apparently crashed shortly afterwards, as witnessed by a Polish-crewed Wellington (304 Sqdn RAF/2B, F/S S. Czekaski), but the crash was misinterpreted at the time as exploding depth charges. The crew of six were all lost.

Crew (all killed)
Flt Sgt Leighton Dawkin Richards RAFVR 1315328 (pilot)
Sgt Peter Horsfield RAFVR 952955 (2nd pilot)
Sgt Cyril James Lowther RAFVR 1452590 (navigator)
Wt Off John Pritchard RAF 638478 (wireless operator/air gunner)
Sgt Richard Charles Humphrey Fisher RAFVR 1318518 (wireless operator/air gunner)
Sgt Arthur Bernard Porter RAFVR 1287755 (wireless operator/air gunner)

All, other than Lowther, are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Lowther is buried Zumaya Cemetery, Spain.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Sunday 13 February 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington B Mk X
Owner/Operator: 70 Sqn RAF
Registration: JA136
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants:
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: 15 miles S of Corato (Bari) - Italy
Phase: En route
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Crashed after battle damaged plus bad weather conditions. 3 killed

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Thursday 17 February 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington B Mk X
Owner/Operator: 40 Sqn RAF
Registration: LN513
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants:
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Greci area (Avellino) - Italy
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Hit an hillside, all on board were killed.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Saturday 13 May 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington X
Owner/Operator: 104 SQN RAF
Registration: MF238
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Aircraft missing
Location: off Portoferraio - Italy
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Missing during night mission

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Saturday 13 May 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington BX
Owner/Operator: 104 SQN RAF
Registration: LP144
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Pomigliano airport - Italy
Phase: Unknown
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Crashed, all crew safe

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Tuesday 13 June 1944
Time: night
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk XIII
Owner/Operator: 415 (Swordfish) Sqn RCAF
Registration: HZ659
MSN: NH-H
Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Westerschelde estuary, Zeeland - Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Bircham Newton (takeoff at 00:25 hrs)
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Took off RAF Bircham Newton to attack German shipping in the Western Scheldt in the province of Zeeland. Shot down by flak from Räumboote NNW at Ostend North Sea.

Crew:
Plt Off G C Krahn RCAF (KIA) Vlissingen Noorderbegraafplaats
Plt Off J M Lacombe RCAF (KIA) Vlissingen Noorderbegraafplaats
Plt Off J R Dryden RCAF (KIA) Runnymede Memorial
Plt Off G A Henson RCAF (KIA) Runnymede Memorial
Plt Off F L Ladd RCAF (KIA) Runnymede Memorial
Plt Off D I A Laurie RCAF (KIA) Runnymede Memorial
Plt Off G E Robertson RCAF (KIA) Runnymede Memorial

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Tuesday 13 June 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk ?
Owner/Operator: 28 OTU RAF
Registration: LP397
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Mayfield, Staffordshire - United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Castle Donington
Destination Airport:
Narrative: The Vickers Wellington of No. 28 Operational Training Unit RAF had taken off from RAF Castle Donington (Now East Midlands Airport) with six crew on bored. The aircraft was on an cross country exercise. Just 25 minutes after take off the flight entered a thunderstorm soon after people on the ground seen the aircraft in a dive near vertically out of the cloud and crashed into the ground near the village of Mayfield in Staffordshire.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Thursday 13 July 1944
Time: 02:03 claim
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk XIII
Owner/Operator: 415 (Swordfish) Sqn RCAF
Registration: MF494
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Aircraft missing
Location: North Sea 30 km N of Ameland, Friesland - Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Operation - anti-shipping patrol. Location is claimed.
At a height of 400 metres, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Unteroffizier Rudolf Wilsch of the 7./NJG 1, who was flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Leeuwarden airfield.

All seven crew members are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial:

Pilot, Fg Off, R.J. Sheen, RCAF, J/12823, M.I.A., Owendale, Alberta, Canada
Navigator, Flt Lt, R.L. Harman, RCAF, J/8438, M.I.A.,Toronto, Ontario, Canada
WAG, P/O, J.J.R. Vannier, RCAF J/89739, M.I.A., Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada
P/O, G.E. Crawley, RCAF, J/90002, M.I.A., Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
P/O, L.E. Findley, RCAF, J/89738, M.I.A., Kelloe, Manitoba, Canada
P/O, G.K. Huish, RCAF, J/87891, M.I.A., New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Flt Sgt, J. Hands, RAFVR, 1390983, M.I.A., Hythe, Kent, United Kingdom

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Thursday 13 July 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington
Owner/Operator: 40 Sqn RAF
Registration: LN270
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: near Roncone (Trentino, Italy) - Italy
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Narrative:

Crew:
Name: CHARALAMBOUS, CHRISTAKIS Pilot Officer (Pilot)
Name: KNIGHT, ALFRED JAMES Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Name: MARTIN, EDWARD CECIL Flying Officer (Air Bomber)
Name: SHEPHERD, ERNEST ROBERT Flying Officer (W.Op.[Air])
Name: HOYER KAJ Navigator

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Thursday 13 July 1944
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington
Owner/Operator: ATA Royal Air Force
Registration: Z1690
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants:
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Great Rissington - United Kingdom
Phase: Take off
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Little Rissington
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Crashed shortly after takeoff on a ferry flight under unknown circumstances. There was at least one fatality.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Monday 13 November 1944
Time: 10:00
Type: Vickers Wellington X
Owner/Operator: 91 Group Servicing Unit
Registration: HE750
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: RAF Gamston, Nottinghamshire - United Kingdom
Phase: Standing
Nature: Military
Departure Airport:
Destination Airport:
Narrative: Ground accident. An aircraftsman working in one ot the hangars at RAF Gamston accidentally slipped from a ladder created a spark which ignited some petrol that had dripped onto the floor. The aircraftsman escaped, but the Wellingtoh was destroyed in the ensuing fire.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Saturday 13 July 1946
Time: 14:00
Type: Vickers Wellington
Owner/Operator: Armée de l'Air
Registration:
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: BA Meknès - Morocco
Phase: Standing
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: BA Meknès
Destination Airport: Blida
Narrative: Destroyed by fire moments before departure. Occupants escaped unhurt.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Friday 13 September 1946
Time:
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/Operator: EANS RAF
Registration: NC630
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 6
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Famage: Destroyed
Location: Off Roscoff, Finistère département, Brittany, Saint-Pol-de-Léon - France
Phase: En route
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Shawbury, Shropshire
Destination Airport: RAF Shawbury, Shropshire
Narrative: Written off (destroyed) 13-11-1946: The crew was performing a training flight from RAF Shawbury. After flying over the island of Ouessant, heading to Straits of Dover, both engines failed simultaneously. Unable to restart the engines, the captain was forced to reduce his altitude and attempted to ditch the aircraft off Off Roscoff, Finistère département of Brittany, Morlaix, Saint-Pol-de-Léon (at approximate Coordinates: 48°43′38″N 3°59′04″W). According to the following published report (see link #2):

"On 13.9.46 Cadet J Smith was one of twenty-two cadets from Nelson ATC Squadron on a week's camp at RAF Shawbury. Cadet Smith was taken on board Wellington NC630, of the EANS to make one of the longer non-beligerent flights after the war. The captain was Polish, Flight Lieutenant Franczak, with Flying Officer K S Delbridge as navigation instructor, and a crew comprising two trainee navigators and a signaller (wireless operator). Forty six years on Ken Delbridge recalls "It was a nght flight on Friday the 13th, and the route planned was Shawbury - Ille d'Ouessant - to a position in the Straits of Dover - Shawbury. We reached Ile d'Ouessant and commenced track to Straits of Dover.

Suddenly we lost both engines and were forced to ditch with very little gliding. All the crew were in ditching positions, with the cadet and two crew members in the rear of the 'plane. We hit the sea with terrific force, and the 'plane appeared to break up about the main spar. The pilot escaped through the hatch, and Sergeant Bennett, the signaller, and myself escaped through wreckage under water. Our SOS was received in the UK, and we three survivors were picked up some 4-5 hours later from our dinghy by a diverted freighter en route to South America, which landed us at Plymouth."

Additional:
"16 Sept. 1946 the Times

The Air Ministry disclosed last night that an A.T.C. cadet aged 15, of Nelson Lancashire, was in a Wellington that crashed into the sea off Brest on Friday, and has been posted as missing, together with Sergeant D.E.Smith of the R.A.F, and an unnamed Indian Pilot Officer as his family has not been informed."

Cadet Smith and Sergeants Smith and Singh went down with the aircraft and their names are inscribed on the RAF Memorial at Runneymede.

Crew:
Flt Lt Henryk Franczak, DFC, pilot (Polish National, Survivor)
Flying Officer Ken S. Delbridge, navigator,
Sgt Bennett, signaler,
Air Cadet Joseph A. Smith, (aged 15, killed)
Sgt D.E. Smith, (killed)
Sgt Jagjit Singh. (Service Number IND/2915, killed)

It appears that a crew wanted to switch the fuel selector to the auxiliary tanks because the main one was near empty. In doing so, he inadvertently cut the fuel supply, causing both engines to stop. Flt Lt Henryk Franczak, DFC, the pilot, remained with the RAF as an instructor until December 1948 when he was recruited, on a three year contract, into the Pakistan Air Force. During 1948/49 he fought in the first Kashmir War. He was in a transport squadron based at Peshawar, flying Douglas Dakotas. He died in North Scituate, Providence, Rhode Island, USA on 1st July 2006 and, in accordance with his wishes, his ashes were buried in the Military Cemetery at Warsaw on 12th September 2006. He was accorded full military honours.

 

[Lucky13]

Date: Sunday 13 April 1947
Time: night
Type: Vickers Wellington Mk X
Owner/Operator: 10 ANS RAF
Registration: NA735
MSN:
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4
Other Fatalities: 0
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Location: Black Boy Wood, Garston, near Watford, Hertfordshire - United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature: Military
Departure Airport: RAF Driffield, Yorkshire
Destination Airport: RAF Driffield, Yorkshire
Narrative: Wellington Mk. X NA735, 10 ANS (Air Navigation School) RAF: Written off (destroyed) when crashed on a night navigation exercise on the night of 12-13 April 1947. (Aircraft routed Driffield-Woodbridge-Driffield). One of the crew of four was killed.

The Wellington Mark X was on a night navigation exercise from Driffield in Yorkshire taking off on 12 April. It was to fly a triangular course landing back at Driffield. The weather closed in and they could not get back into Driffield or their alternates - Dishforth, or Woodbridge. Running out of fuel the crew were ordered to bale out.

Crew Fatality:
Warrant Officer (Serjeant) Antoni M Wasiak (Service Number: P/784188) Polish Air Force, aged 26 - killed on active service 13 April,1947. Buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, Surrey

Garston is a suburban village in Hertfordshire, England. Garston is contiguous with Watford and now, despite retaining a local identity, is effectively a suburb. It is within the Stanborough, Woodside and Meriden wards of the borough of Watford, although a small number of its streets are in Hertsmere.