I checked the following links in June 2015, making necessary corrections. If there are any additions or further corrections, please let me know at my contact page. In addition to the websites listed below, be sure to visit the page on this website, Aircraft Crash Records and Crash Sites for further information.
- 8th USAF Aircraft Downed in France 1942/1945: http://www.b17-france.org/
- Accident-Report.com, Military Aviation Incident Reports:http://accident-report.com/
- Aircraft Accidents in Yorkshire: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/
- Aircrew Remembered: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/. See their various databases, including Paradie Archive: 45,000 RCAF Personnel 1939-1945: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/Paradie/ParadieArchiveBio.html, Polish Air Force Serving with RAF Honour Roll: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/PolishHonourRollDatabaseSearch/, and USAAF Combat Operations in WWII: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/
- Air War in the Netherlands: http://www.luchtoorlog.net/
- Airwar Over Denmark: http://www.flensted.eu.com/
- American Air Museum in Britain: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/
- American Memorial Association of Saint-Nazaire, 8th USAF Aircraft Downed in France, 1942-1945 (Association du Memorial Américain de Saint Nazaire, Avions de la 8ème Air Force Tombés en France, 1942/1945): http://www.b17-france.org/ . According to this website, it contains an inventory of 800 aircraft and 6500 airmen for crashes throughout France.
- Association Forced Landing (France) :http://forcedlanding.pagesperso-orange.fr/8.htm
- Aterrem em Land in Portugal (About planes forced down in Portugal. In English and Portuguese.): http://www.landinportugal.org/ . English: http://www.landinportugal.org/main+i.htm
- AVOG’s Crash Museum (Netherlands): http://www.crashmuseum.nl/organisatie.html
- Belgian Aviation Heritage: http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx?ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aviationheritage.eu%2Fnl%2Fcontent%2Fmonument-crew-b-17-42-31499-susan-ruth
- Belgian Wings (and Belgian Aviation History Association): http://www.belgian-wings.be/
- Belgians Remember Them, The: http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/index.php. See in particular http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/use.php about crashes.
- Belgian Wings (and Belgian Aviation History Association): http://www.belgian-wings.be/
- Crash ’40-’45 (Aalsmeer): http://www.crash40-45.nl/
- Crashplace: http://www.crashplace.de/. Their database (datenbank) is in German and English.
- Crash Sites Limburg (Netherlands): http://www.crashsiteslimburg.nl/index.htm
- Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency: http://www.dpaa.mil/
- Dutch Federation for Aviation Archeology (Nederlandse Federatie voor Luchtvaart Archeologie): http://www.nfla.nl/
- Flyvrak, WWII Aircraft Wreck Sites in Norway: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/
- Forced Landings Collection-FLC (aircraft crashes in Sweden): http://www.forcedlandingcollection.se/indexe.html
- Foreign Aircraft Landings in Ireland, 1939-1946: http://www.skynet.ie/~dan/war/crashes.htm
- France Crashes 39-45: http://francecrashes39-45.net/
- Grevenbroekmuseum, Het Streekmuseum van Hamont-Achel, Vickers Wellington N2849, Hamont, 16/17 June 1941: http://www.grevenbroekmuseum.be/new/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=105&lang=en
- Irish Aviation Crashes: http://ww2irishaviation.com/
- La Memorial de Rebecq Association: http://www.rebecq-memorial.eu/index.php. Pages are in English as well as French.
- Land in Portugal. (About planes forced down in Portugal. In English and Portuguese.): http://www.landinportugal.org/ . English: http://www.landinportugal.org/main+i.htm
- Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces (by Stan D. Bishop and John A Hey, MBE): http://losses8.webplus.net/
- Luchtoorlog Friesland 1940-1945: http://www.luchtoorlogfriesland.nl/
- Malaya Historical Group: http://mhg.mymalaya.com/
- Messerschmitt Bf 109 — June 2018 Water Recovery: http://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/messerschmitt-bf-109-june-2018-water-recovery-in-russia.html
- Military Aircraft Losses in and Around the Isle of Wight: http://www.gdtp.freeserve.co.uk/
- Netherlands, see https://www.verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/
- Planehunters Recovery Team (Herentals, Belgium): http://www.planehunters.be/
- Remember Halifax JD371 KN-0: http://www.rememberjd371.be/index.htm
- RLV Jägergradnetzkarte (Luftwaffe Map Reference System): http://don-caldwell.we.bs/jg26/gradnetz.htm . See also http://www.stormbirds.com/eagles/research/gradnetz/gradnetz.html
- Search Group for the Missing (Arbeitsgruppe Vermisstenforschung): http://www.flugzeugabstuerze-saarland.de/html/arbeitsgruppe.html. A good website on crashes in Germany and about aid to persons seeking information about loved ones. Also has links to other German websites on crashes.
- Stichting Aircraft Recovery Group 1940-1945 – by Jan Nieuwenhuis:http://www.arg1940-1945.nl/
- Studiegroup Luchtoorlog 1939-1945. Their Verliesregister 1939-1945, Alle militaire vliegtuigverliezen in Nederland tijden de Tweede Wereldoorlog can be accessed through their website, http://www.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/welcome/. To access their data directly, go to: http://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/zoek.php.
- The Pats Homepage: http://www.teunispats.nl/. This is a Dutch website focused on crashes in the region of Vollenhove, The Netherlands.
- Tony Wood’s Combat Claims & Casualties Lists: http://don-caldwell.we.bs/claims/tonywood.htm
- U.S. Aircraft Serial Numbers:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.htm
- War Over Holland, May 1940, the Dutch Struggle: http://www.waroverholland.nl/index.php?page=registered-allied-german-aircraft-losses-over-holland
- Wings of Memory (salvage of crashed war planes and creation of memorials to their crews in Belgium): French: http://www.wingsofmemory.be/Fr.htm, Dutch: http://www.wingsofmemory.be/Ndl.htm, English: http://www.wingsofmemory.be/Eng.htm
- Wings to Victory: http://wingstovictory.nl/Wings_to_Victory See its database at: https://db.wingstovictory.nl/.
- World War II Allied Aircraft Crashes in The Netherlands and North Sea – by Jan Nieuwenhuis: https://www.airwar4045.nl/. As of April 2021, Mr. Nieuwenhuis reports that “the website/database now has the detailed information available on 1732 crashed aircraft, 7787 crew members and 893 cemeteries. Currently, crashes in The Netherlands, North Sea and English Channel are present in the database, together with the photo’s of 2558 crew members and 1216 grave/memorial stones!”
WWII Netherlands Escape Lines 
Iam searching for any information on my half brother F/Sgt. B.J. Profit A/Gnr. RCAF. He was serving on a Stirling bomber LJ 850 RAF 620 squadron home base Fairford England. On June 17 1944 @2320 hrs. they left Fairford with 15 paratroops & towing a glider with an unknown number of personel. The drop zone target was near LaCharitee France coordinates 47:13N-04:07E which appears to be near the Morven mountains, there was no further contact after leaving England. It would be comforting to know what happened to the plane & crew or the glider. Other crew members were- W/O R.W. Crane Capt. RAAF. F/Sgt.F,N.Johnston RAF. W/O2 J.P.Clasper RCAF. Sgt. D.W.Evans RAF. F/Sgt. G.W.Stopford RAF. F/Sgt. B.J.Profit RCAF. After so many years have passed Iam hoping something may have turned up, any info. would be greatly appreciated.
Dear Mr. Pelkey,
I posted your comment on my website. I tried searching for the LJ850 on the http://www.lostbombers.co.uk website but without any success. I also checked Oliver Clutton-Brock’s RAF Evaders, Appendix I, List of RAF Evaders, 1940-1945, in case any of the members of the crew survived and evaded, but again without any luck. Do you have access to W.R. Chorley’s RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, or have you already checked it? I don’t have volume 5, 1944.
Best wishes, Bruce Bolinger
Reply of Mr. Pelkey:
Thank you for posting my request & responding. As yet I have not found W.R.Chorley’s vol.5 I plan on checking with our local library. I have also searched a few other web sites also to no avail, I have also sent a request to The Air Historical Branch RAF. It is almost like they just vanished into thin air thanks again for your help, I will keep searching.
Sincerely Al Pelkey
Dear Mr. Pelkey,
Anticipating other requests for such information, I went ahead and ordered the other volumes of Mr. Chorley’s work, including vol. 5. I will let you know what, if anything, I find. I don’t know how complete the listing is of planes on the Lost Bombers website and the absence of the LJ 850 might simply be because the list is incomplete. But I began to wonder if the plane’s mission might have been so secret that the RAF never acknowledged it as one of its regular missions. If, for example, it was an SOE mission, maybe you would need to search the records of that agency. Have you contacted the British National Archives and the Imperial War Museum? Maybe they can be of help.
Best wishes,
Bruce
Dear Mr. Pelkey,
I received Vol. 5 of Chorley’s Bomber Command Losses and checked the period of 11-12 June through 22-23 June 1944 for any listing of any of the airmen you mentioned but found none. I also checked the website http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/BCWW2Losses/ for any additions or corrections referring to them but found nothing. Maybe your best bet is the British National Archives and the Imperial War Museum as I suggested.
Best wishes,
Bruce Bolinger
Hello Bruce, Once more I want to thank you for all your efforts, I have since got some more info from the Stirling Aircraft Society. It appears it was an SOE operation as you suggested in an earlier Email. I have also learned that the pilot of another aircraft on the same operation reported seeing LJ850 crash on approach to the drop zone and there was no fire. If this were true I would think they would have been able to pinpoint the crash site, it also appears the 15 paratroops were also killed in the crash. Their names are on the Bayeux Memorial Calvados France. I have not contacted the British National Archives or the Imperial War Museum but I will do so. However in light of the information I now have I don’t expect I will learn much more. Thanks again for your help.
Regards Al Pelkey
—– Original Message —–
Dear Mr. Pelkey
I realise this conversation is form 2011, anyway:
I found some data on Stirling LJ850 ‘Yorkshire Rose’ in an archive from a member of the Dutch Air War Studygroup. Sadly he passed on some time ago.
The archive states:
Last radio contact with LJ850 was at 0500 hrs at 4958N – 0039W over the English Channel.
All crew members are commemorated at the Runneymede Memorial.
Hope this helpes
Regards, Bas Maathuis
A heart-warming story from Mr. Pelkey, especially to see that some light was shed on the the last mission of his brother’s plane.
My request is the following ,
I have always listened to my father tell the story of a downed plane in a small beach town in Algarve Portugal called Quarteira. My father says he was @ 8 years old (circa 1944) when him and his grandfather witnessed this downed plane. The pilot was english speaking , and was able to walk . A translator was found in town. The plane was removed in 2 days. Can you shed any light on this incident ?
Regards
J Filipe
Dear Mr. Filipe,
You probably will want to contact Carlos Guerreiro, who may be able to help you. See his website at http://www.landinportugal.org/main+i.htm.
Best wishes,
Bruce Bolinger
Dear Mr Bolinger,
My uncle is F/L Reginald Witham who was shot down over Denmark and missing in action on 26th November 1944. He was flying a Stirling IV LK151. I have located a memorial in Rebild Park in Denmark and I am planning to visit it when I travel to Denmark in a few weeks time.
I was under the impression from a story from my aunt that there was dredging being done and the plane my uncle flew was located and identified. Do you know anything about this? Or could you help me with locating this information?
Many thanks, Jill Wilson.
Dear Mr. Wilson,
Unfortunately, I have no familiarity with crashes in Denmark. I suggest that you go to https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/research/aircraft-crash-sites/ on my website and scroll down to the listings for Denmark and contact the webmasters.
Best wishes,
Bruce Bolinger
Hello Bas Maathuis Thank you for your info in regards to the last radio contact with LJ850.
I have heard this report before, but it is difficult to verify. However I now have some new information that indicates the plane may have crashed in a farm field in Normandy France.
Tony Graves an aviation archaeologist has located the remnants of an air craft he is certain may have been LJ850. However he needs to excavate further to be sure, but the French authorities are refusing to grant the necessary permit. I am praying we can resolve this mystery before I pass on. Thank you again it is always good to receive more information.
Regards Al Pelkey
Thus is a long shot but I’d thought I may ask here. My grandfather was involved in a crash landing in Holland between later 1944 to early 1945. He was with a finance disbursement unit during the war as a JCWO. My uncle remembers going with him in the 50’s when they were stationed in Germany to visit the family that hid him and the survivors out in their house from the Germans. Since he was so young he doesn’t remember where this was or who the family was. My grandfather’s service was in the US Army.
Where would be the best place to start researching more on this story? I hope to hear from you soon.
Dear Mr. Duckworth,
Please provide your grandfather’s name and what JCWO stood for.
Bruce Bolinger
Hey his name was James C. Duckworth Jr. and he was a Junior Chief Warrant Officer or Warrant Officer Junior Grade. 64th Finance Disbursement Section
There are two interviews he did in Sept. 1944 on the Normandy Base Section (posted on Fold3.com). He went from Cherbourg to Bastogne later in ’44 and was caught up in the December siege. I am thinking the plane crash he was involved in occurred in fall of ’44, possibly when they were transferred to Bastogne. I’m not sure how long he had to hide out but don’t think it was too long.
Hey his name was James C. Duckworth Jr. and he was a Junior Chief Warrant Officer or Warrant Officer Junior Grade. 64th Finance Disbursement Section
There are two interviews he did in Sept. 1944 on the Normandy Base Section (posted on Fold3.com). He went from Cherbourg to Bastogne later in ’44 and was caught up in the December siege. I am thinking the plane crash he was involved in occurred in fall of ’44, possibly when they were transferred to Bastogne. I’m not sure how long he had to hide out but don’t think it was too long.
His not being a member of the USAAF eliminates a lot of potential sources of information. Have you exhausted all the suggestions on the following page of this website: https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/research/dutch-national-archives-list-of-american-evadees-shot-down-over-the-netherlands/ ? Are you sure the crash was even in The Netherlands?