Accident Avro Lancaster Mk I W4382, Thursday 17 December 1942
ASN logo
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.

Date:Thursday 17 December 1942
Time:21:18
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:50 Sqn RAF
Registration: W4382
MSN: VN-?
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:North Sea 5 km west of Callantsoog, Noord-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 17:00 hrs for a bombing operation against Soltau, Germany.
Homeward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Leutnant Lothar Linke of the Stab IV./NJG 1, flying a Bf 110 F-4 from Leeuwarden airfield.

Pilot F/Lt. J.C. Atkinson DFM 120725 RAF - aged 28
Flight Engineer Sgt. F. Martin 951050 RAF - aged 25
Navigator F/O. P.W. Rowling AUS401287 RAAF - aged 30
Bomb Aimer P/O. H.W.J. Smith DFM AUS404622 RAAF - aged 28
Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner Sgt. J.C. O'Neill AUS402604 RAAF - aged 33
Mid-upper Gunner F/O. C.W. Walker AUS407956 RAAF - aged 25
Rear Gunner Sgt. J.M. Reilly 702772 RAF - aged 24

They were never heard from after leaving Skellingthorpe on the 17th. All are commemorated at the Memorial at Runnymede England.

Sources:

https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T1953A&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
Google Maps

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
16-Aug-2014 07:51 Anon. Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Departure airport, Destination airport, Damage, Narrative, ]
25-Feb-2015 16:00 Anon. Updated [Narrative, ]
15-Dec-2017 13:28 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
12-Nov-2018 19:17 Nepa Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator, ]
06-Nov-2020 20:42 TigerTimon Updated [Cn, Location, Source, Narrative, ]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2025 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org