Eight men from 1661 HCU were killed during the Second World War in two separate training accidents.

Sgt AF Cooper, WO2 GC Munro and Sgt WGA Venables died 21/1/1944 when Stirling III EF151 crashed trying to land. The aircraft took off from Winthorpe at 0300 for general training. It lost power from the starboard outer engine and returned to base with wheels only partly lowered. The pilot, Sgt E Docherty also experienced problems with his trimmers as the Stirling crashed at 0630 after flying into trees at Glebe Farm, Brough a village on the Notts/Lincs border about 2 miles south east of the airfield.

Venables survived the initial impact but died shortly afterwards in Newark on Trent General Hospital. Docherty survived the incident as did Flt Sgt FC Biddle, Sgt R Southey and Sgt AS Humphreys but the latter perished only two months later when Lancasters from 463 and 625 Sqdns collided in mid-air. (Source: WR Chorley, Bomber Command Losses, Vol. 8 p.84)

Five Winthorpe men - SLdr SL Cockbain DFC, Flt Sgt TA Balls, Flt Sgt RC Barton, Sgt J Littlemore and Sgt K Harris were killed 14/1/1945. Stirling III EH988 took off at 1000 but crashed fifteen minutes later at Home Farm, Annesley Park near Hucknall to the south west of Nottingham. Eye witnesses reported flames streaming from one of the starboard engines as it plummeted earthwards. (Source: WR Chorley, Bomber Command Losses, Vol. 8 p.156)