On the 31st of January 1944 the crew of this aircraft took off for a night time cross country navigation exercise. Some time into the flight and forty miles off their intended course the aircraft was flying in low cloud and mist in the Ilkley area. The aircraft flew into Ilkley Moor not far from the Swastika Stone at around 17.30hrs whilst flying a rough southerly heading. The aircraft caught fire on impact. Seven airmen died as a result of the crash (for some reason W R Chorley's HCU Losses Book names only six). Locals were soon on the scene and were able to find one of the crew alive and carry him down off the moor on a gate, he told his rescuers they had become lost and were trying to find Yeadon Airfield, they had descended through a layer of cloud and struck the ground. he was taken to High Royds Hospital in Menston but sadly died soon after. There is a suggestion that this was the flight engineer.

Pilot - P/O Donald G McLeod RCAF (J87657), aged 21, of Waterford, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (sec C, row K, grave 1).

F Eng - Sgt Felix Byrne RAFVR, aged 20, of Plains, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Buried Airdrie Roman Catholic Cemetery, Scotland.

Nav - WO2 Lewis Riggs RCAF (R148524), aged 20, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (sec C, row K, grave 5).

BA - Sgt Robert H Rahn RCAF (R155420), aged 22, of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (sec C, row K, grave 4).

WOp/AG - WO1 William G King RCAF (R93560), aged 27, of Teepers Creek, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (sec C, row K, grave 6).

AG - Sgt George Martin RCAF (R163413), aged 20, of Spanish, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (sec C, row K, grave 2).

AG - Sgt Albert Lorne Mullen RCAF (R192035), aged 19, of Burnaby, Britsih Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (sec C, row K, grave 3).

The Canadian members of the crew of Halifax DK185, left to right – Robert Rahn, William King, Lorne Mullen, George Martin, Lewis Riggs, Donald McLeod. (photo via www.airmuseum.ca website).

Robert Rahn (photo via Jim Rutland) and his gravestone at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery.

On the 62nd anniversary of the crash a memorial was dedicated at the site, present were relations of the aircrew, serving RAF personnel from Linton on Ouse as well as local people. It is through the efforts of Insp Paul Rielly, of Strathclyde Police, whos father was best friends with the RAF flight engineer that the memorial came into being. The brother of Robert Rahn, Mr Kenneth Rahn was able to be present at the service.

Some years ago I was contacted by Mr Doug Mullen, brother of Sgt Mullen. At the time I was unable to give him much information about the incident. I hope that he is aware of the memorial at the crash site having visited some years previously.

Will Lund and I visited the site and the memorial in December 2006, remains of the aircraft are still to be found at the crash site. In mid 2006 Ilkley Moor suffered from a huge moorland fire, the effects of which will no doubt be visable for many years to come. Much of the area now resembles a lunar landscape. The area of where this aircraft crashed is not contained within the area of the fire however.