VICKERS WELLINGTON .... x2 nine cylinder radial engines, 3 blades per prop. Geodesic airframe devised by Barnes Wallace. Construction ... The fuselage was built of duralumin W beams that were formed in to a framework. Wooden battens were then screwed to the duralumin and then the fuselage was covered in Irish linen and coated with layers of dope in order to form the outer skin of the aircraft.
Aircraft Losses
AIRCRAFT LOSSES
OF NOTE ... THIS IS NOT A DEFINITIVE LIST OF LOSSES OFF THE NORFOLK COAST. THIS PAGE WILL IN TURN BE UPDATED AS NEW LOSSES ARE IDENTIFIED.
VICKERS WELLINGTON
HE514 ... 26 July 1943 ... 1 mile off Cromer // Cause of loss, flak damage whilst returning from a raid over Essen in Germany. All crew members survived, 5 crew members. Squadron 432. (Updated 10/09/2022)
R1178 ... 25/26 July 1941 ... 9 miles north east of Cromer // Ditched on return from a bombing raid over Hamburg, cause unknown. All Polish crew, 300 squadron. All six crew members were rescued and survived. (Updated 10/09/2022
W5720 ... 20 October 1941 ... 12 miles off Cromer. Cause of loss .. Flak damage whilst on a raid over Hamburg. All crew rescued after 18 hours at sea except for F/O Stenocki. Surviving crew, F/O Ladro, P/OT Skarzynski, P/O Sokolowski, P/O Assman and Sgt Krzywon. 304 squadron, all Polish crew. (Updated 10/09/2022)
N2983 ... 18 December 1939 ... near Cromer knoll ... Cause of loss. Whilst on a reconnaissance mission off the coast of Germany N2983 was attacked by a German aircraft. Despite damage to the aircraft the Wellington managed to break away from the attacking aircraft and headed back to base in Suffolk. Whilst approaching the English coast N2983 was forced to ditch near the Cromer Knoll. Within a short while the ship Erillas was on site and in turn rescued four of the crew of five. Sadly the 5th crew member, Air Gunner Walter Lilley was killed in action. The surviving crew members were Pilot Sgt John Richardson Shaw, Co Pilot Sgt Robert Hewitt, Radio Operator / Air Gunner LAC D.J. Connally and Air Gunner AC1 Charles Ronald Driver. Squadron 9. (Updated 10/09/2022)
Z1103 ... 26 November 1941 ... Ditched half a mile off shore when returning from a raid over Emden. Ran out of fuel due to damage caused to the aircrafts fuel tanks by flak. All crew members survived and were picked up by an RAF launch from the aircrafts dinghy some two hours after the ditching of the aircraft. (Updated 18/09/2022)
W5519 ... 10 April... 4 miles off Cromer ... 305 Squadron (Polish crew) Returning home from a raid over Essen. Suffered heavy damage from an enemy night fighter. Ditched 4 miles off Cromer. All 6 crew members were picked up by a trawler from their aircrafts dinghy. Three of the aircrew needed hospital treatment after their ordeal. (Updated 18/09/2022)
Z8800 ... 25 June 1942 ... 25 miles off Cromer ... Returning home from a raid on Bremen. Ditched 25 miles off Cromer due to damaged fuel tanks caused by flak. All crew members were picked up safely by a minesweeper. (Updated 18/09/2022)
FLYING FORTRESS B17 ... x4 nine cylinder radial engines. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Stressed metal skin.
FLYING FORTRESS B17
42- 29752 ... 13 May 1943 ... Blakeney Point (Found in 2015, see Completed Projects)
42- 303070 ... 29 July 1943 ... Cromer, off shore
42-5908 ... 29 July 1943 ... Cromer, off shore
42-31882 ... 22 February 1944 ... Off Cromer
41-24417 ... 26 July 1943 ... 400 yards of Cromer
42-29612 ... 26 July 1943 ... Sherringham
42-97820 ... 20 June ?? ... 4 miles north east of Cromer
42-30221 ... 27 December 1943 ... The Wash
HADLEY PAGE HAMPDEN ... x2 nine cylinder radial engines. Three blades per prop. Construction .. Metal stressed skin.
HADLEY PAGE HAMPDEN
(Go to list of wreck sites for more information on P-2123)
P2123 ... 1 September 1940 ... Sheringham Lifeboat records list a call out on the 1st September 1940 in response to a downed aircraft between Sheringham and Blakeney. It is in turn highly likely that the aircraft in question was that of the Hampden P2123 of 44 Squadron. Cause of loss ... Ran out of fuel after being airborne for 9.5 hours when returning to base after a bombing raid. Crew members ... P/O D Romans DFC // SGT Mandale // SGT Logan // P/OD E Stewart.
LOCATION ...Off Salthouse beach. Sheringham lifeboat was launched at 6am in response to reports of a downed aircraft in the sea between Blakeney and Sherringham. When the lifeboat reached Salthouse they found aircraft wreckage a short distance off the beach along with oil on the waters surface that had leaked out of the aircraft. All four crew members of the Hampden P2123 survived the ditching of the aircraft and in turn made their way safely to shore with the use of the aircrafts rubber Dinghy. (updated 10/09/2022) See completed projects for more information.
AD856 ... 6 July 1941 ... Off Cromer
AD843 ... 23 July 1941 ... East of Cromer
AD981 ... 11 September 1941 ... 20 miles off Cromer
P4351 ... 3 August 1940 ... 20 miles east of Skegness
P1354 ... 25 August 1940 ... Mouth of the Wash
AVRO LANCASTER ... x4 Rolls Royce Merlin V 12 cylinder liquid cooled engines. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Metal stressed skin. Armament ... 303 machine guns.
AVRO LANCASTER
JA981 ... 15 September 1943 ... 8 miles off Cromer.... Eight Lancaster bombers of 617 Squadron were on their way at low level to attack the Dortmund Ems Canal / Ladbergen. Due to the increased deterioration in weather conditions the aircraft were recalled, however in the process of turning for home it is believed JA981 hit the water. Out of the crew of eight none survived. During a search of the ditching area only the body of the pilot, Squadron Leader Maltby was recovered, the other seven crew members were never found.
R5558 ... 14 July 1942 ... 4 miles off Wells - Next - The - Sea ... Ditched off Wells-Next-The-Sea whilst returning from a bombing raid over Duisburg. The incident was attended by the Wells Lifeboat, this resulting in one of the airmen being rescued. Sadly he was to later die of his injuries. During the rescue Coxswain Ted Neilson attempted to rescue the remaining crew from within the stricken aircraft, this being at great risk to his own life. Sadly all attempts to save the remaining crew members failed. Coxswain Neilson later received a gallantry award in recognition of his heroic efforts on the day. (Updated 10/09/2022)
ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH WHITLEY ... Engines x2. From 1938 the Whitley was fitted with x2 Rolls Royce Merlin V12 liquid cooled engines. Three blades per prop. Prior to 1938 the aircraft was fitted with the radial nine cylinder Armstrong Whitworth Tiger engine. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Metal stressed skin.
ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH WHITLEY
T4261 ... 1 March 1941 ... Off Cromer .... Departed from RAF Topcliffe (North Yorkshire) for a mission over Cologne. For reasons unknown the aircraft ditched off Cromer. Four of the crew of five survived the ditching and were later picked up whilst in the aircrafts rescue dinghy. The pilot, Squadron Leader Clive Eugene Erwin Florigny lost his life in the incident. The four surviving crew members were Sgt R. F. Martin / Sgt W. Hol / Sgt A. Bush and P/P R.c. Rivaz
P5089 ... Oct 21 1940 ... Off Blakeney Point .... Departed from RAF Linton-On-Ouse (North Yorkshire) for a raid on the Skoda works at Pilsen in Czechoslovakia. On the return journey the aircraft ran out of fuel and ditched off Blakeney Point. All five crew members survived the ditching and were picked up from their aircrafts rescue dinghy by the Sheringham lifeboat Foresters Centenary.
JUNKERS (JU88) ... x2 Jumo 211 V12 engines. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Stressed metal skin
JUNKERS (JU88)
JU88A-4 // 9/KG26 ... 30 July 1943 ... Off Cley
JU88A-5 ... 3 May 1941 ... Weybourne beach.... Departed from Eindhoven along with elven other aircraft for a raid on Liverpool Docks. This aircraft lead the raid, with orders to report the weather conditions over the target to the other aircraft in the formation. Encountered heavy AA fire over the Wash / Skegness, this resulting in a loss of power to the aircrafts port engine and damage to the compass. As a result to the damage sustained the crew elected to jettison their bombs and head for home. Whilst following the Norfolk coastline engine two failed (port) and the pilot in turn made a forced landing on Weybourne beach just below the point of low tide. Of note ... Various remains of the aircraft have been reported over the years buried in the sand.
AVRO MANCHESTER ... x2 Rolls Royce Vulture engines. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Stressed metal skin.
AVRO MANCHESTER
L7487 ... 21 October 1941 ... 10 miles north of Yarmouth
DORNIER DO17 and DO217. Both twin engined aircraft of metal stressed skin construction. The DO17's were fitted with the radial 9 cylinder Bramo 323 engine. The DO27's were fitted with the BMW 801A 14 cylinder radial engine.
DORNIER
DO17Z-36/KG3 ...21 August 1940 ... Off Scolt Head
DO217E-4/KG2 ... 24 February 1941 ... Off Cromer
DO217E/KG2 ... 30 July 1941 ... Salthouse Marshes. (Later destroyed)
DO217E/KG40 ... 15 May 1942 ... Off Haisborough
SHORT STIRLING ... x4 Bristol Hercules 14 cylinder radial engines. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Metal stressed skin
SHORT STIRLING
EH960 ... 17 October 1943 ... The Wash
HADLEY PAGE HALIFAX MK11 (W7774)... x4 Rolls Royce Merlin engines. Three blades per prop. Construction ... Metal stressed skin. Dimensions ... Wingspan, 104 feet, Length 72 feet. Armament, Browning 303 machine guns.
The initial design of the Halifax, this being with its four Merlin engines was to prove problematic, this being due to the propellers being placed to close to the leading edge of the wing. This being more a cause due to how and where the engine was installed on the wing. The resulting effect of this was the disturbance of airflow over the wing, which in turn caused poor performance of the aircratf compared to the four engined Merlin Lancaster. In addition the Merlin engine was felt to be under powered and in turn fell short of the needs of the Halifax. By the time the MK111 Halifax was in production these issues had been resolved by replacing the Merlin engines with the more powerful 14 cylinder Bristol Hercules engines, these being placed correctly in relation to the wing and in turn removing the previous issue regarding airflow over the wing.
HADLEY PAGE HALIFAX
W7774 NF-T ...30 October 1942 ... Off Cromer / Sheringham
Ditched off Cromer / Sheringham when returning from a planned raid on the Gestapo Headquarters in Warsaw. After several runs at their target it was to prove impossible to achieve any form of precision bombing at night. With this in mind and in turn with the high risk of inflicting casualties upon the neighbouring Polish communities an alternative target was chosen, this being the German airfield in Okecie, Warsaw. On their return from the raid on the airfield and about 50 miles west of the Danish coast they were attacked by two Messerschmitt 110 night fighters, this in turn damaging the engines, aerial, fuel tank and one of the dinghies. On ditching the aircraft and preparing to get in the aircrafts dinghy the crew found it had been hit by machine gun fire during the attack, thankfully the spare dinghy was found to be in good order and was able to accommodate the crew. The coastguard had witnessed the ditching of the aircraft and in turn notified the Sheringham lifeboat. The crew spent two hours in their dinghy before eventually being picked up by the Sheringham lifeboat Foresters Centenary.
JET AIRCRAFT
TORNADO
ZA558 ... 28 October 1983 ... 10 miles north of Sheringham
ZG711 ... 24 October 2006 ... The Wash
JAGUAR
XZ393 ... 12 July 1984 ... 1-2 miles NW of Sheringham
XX122 ... 2 April 1982 ... The Wash
XZ395 ... 22 August 1984 ... 20 miles ENE of Cromer
HUNTER
XF517 ... 15 January 1969 ... Off Blakeney
Lightning
XG334 ... 5 March 1960 ... Off Wells
PHANTOM
XT904 ... 15 October 1971 ... Off Cromer