On the 15th January 1945 this crew were to undertake a take-off and landings training exercise, at 18.50hrs they were
involved in a crash at
Topcliffe airfield when the aircraft swung on take-off and ground looped. This aircraft would later be declared a write-off. The
crew were not medically examined and two hours later were ordered to undertake the exercise in a fresh aircraft.
At 20.55hrs they took off from Topcliffe. Three minutes later the starboard outer engine failed. Control of the aircraft was
lost and it crashed into a wood near Felixkirk. Deep snow was covering the ground. Locals were soon on the scene but eight of the nine on
board were
beyond help and sadly died in the crash. The seriously injured airman was initially placed into a private car with the intension of taking
him to hospital. Further information is gather from the ORB of Northallerton Military Hospital which stated that at 22.15hrs the
""Mobile Surgical unit proceeded to Felixkirk at the request of RCAF Topcliffe."" The injured airman was removed from the car and transferred to
the ambulance. ""He was in a very poor condition and died immediately after admission to hospital (at Northallerton) from multiple injuries"".
The Humber (vehicle) [another crash-team from the Hull area] had to be abandoned ½ mile from the scene of the
crash owing to deep snow. Personnel walked through the snow to the crash. The surgical unit returned to Northallerton at 00.15hrs"".
The aircraft was built to contract ACFT/891 by Fairey at Heaton Chapel, Stockport and delivered directly to 426 Sqdn at Linton on Ouse
in April 1944. It was transferred to 434 Sqdn at Croft in May 1944 and remained with the unit until December 1944 when 434 Sqdn converted
to Lancasters. The aircraft was then transferred to 1659 HCU in December 1944 and later sustained Cat.E2/FA Burnt on 15th January 1945 in the
incident detailed above.
Trainee Pilot - F/O Frank W Mooney RCAF, aged 21, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
FEng - Sgt Albert R Robson RCAF, aged 20, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Trainee Pilot - F/Sgt Geoffrey Walton RAFVR, aged 22, of Parkstone, Dorsetshire. Buried Castlechurch, Staffs.
FEng - Sgt Michael Richard O'Sullivan RAFVR, aged 26, of Newcastle West. Buried Castlemahon, Limerick, Ireland.
Nav - F/O James A McCrea RCAF, aged 20, of St. Eustache sur le Lac, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
BA - F/O Duncan P McGregor RCAF, aged 20, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
WOp/AG - Sgt Joseph A Savy RCAF, aged 20, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
AG - Sgt Leonard C Stavenow RCAF, aged 19, of Arnprior, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Died
on way to hospital.
AG - Sgt Angus J MacDonnell RCAF, aged 20, of Green Valley, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Four of the nine airmens gravestones.
Felixkirk resident Ms Dorothy Almond was one of the first to reach the crash site, she would create a painted slate and place this at the crash
site in later years. This would become the first memorial to be erected at the site. This slate, although faded is still at the crash site but is now
housed in a wooden mount. The photo above shows the slate as it was in the 1980s (photo Mr Dick Barton). Whilst I have no reason to doubt this information I was
contacted some years to say the engraver was a Mr Roger Miller - this is probably not correct given Ms Almond's credit in other sources.
On 29th March 2003 a large memorial stone, plaque and bench were dedicated at the crash site. At ceromony three Beagle Pup aircraft
from nearby Bagby and a Hurricane based at Breighton near Selby, took part in a flypast. Wreaths and poppies were also laid infront
of the stone in memory of those who lost their lives. This memorial came about through the efforts of a West Yorkshire businessman Mr
Ken Blundell. Having learnt of Ms Almond and her dedication to the site he funded the memorial himself as a thank you to
fellow Canadians who had been kind to him during his RAF training during the War. Mr Blundell's son lives and owns the land on which the aircraft
crashed. The efforts of aviation historian Mr David Thompson should not be overlooked, through his work the family of Sgt O'Sullivan were able to
attend the memorial service. I learn that Mr Blundell Snr sadly died in August 2004.
More is now known about Sgt O'Sullivan, whos actual name was Richard. He was one of four brothers who served in the War, it would appear that he lied about his age
when he enlisted and possibly used his older brothers birth certificate, whos name was Michael. He then assumed his brothers identity. Information supplied by Mr Thompson.
I have been fortunate to have been contacted by the family of F/O McGregor, on a recent visit to the UK they were able to visit the crash site and the memorial.
I would like to thank the family for contacting me. I would also like to thank Mr Derek Lanning for contacting me, it transpires that F/Sgt Walton
and Sgt O'Sullivan were members of a second crew to which Mr Lanning was their mid upper gunner. The other seven on the aircraft were a
usual crew of seven. I would like to thank Mr Lanning for contacting me and for the information he has been able to provide.
