On the night of the 23rd/24th November 1943 six Halifax's of 1658 HCU were tasked with night cross country training exercises. The weather on this night was forecast to be bad but for some reason the CO of Riccall allowed the exercise to continue. These six aircraft were the only six aircraft in the whole of 4 Group to carry out flying on this night because of the weather. This aircraft took off at 23.27hrs, from Riccall they were tasked with flying roughly north-westerly to St Bees Head, half and hour after take off an aircraft was plotted by an ROC post near Kettlewell in Upper Wharfedale to by flying low in a southerly direction, it was then heard circling and possibly gaining height. Soon after an aircraft was heard in a dive from which it did not recover, it crashed into Great Whernside killing all on board. Weather at the time of the crash was very bad, rain, cloud and a gale force 8 wind was blowing at the time of the crash. Not only that the aircraft would probably have encountered icing of its controls over the 4000ft freezing height on this night. The crash seemed likely that control was lost because of icing to the aircraft. Why the aircraft was in the air in the first place is not stated. There is suggestion on the Form AM1180 that a collision occured with Halifax JB926 which crashed at Slipstone Crags, Agra Moor, a short time later. This was investigated but was 100% ruled out as JB926 had radioed a message at the time of DT578's crash and stated their position was some miles away.

Of the six aircraft which attempted this exercise, two others returned early, with icing problems, one of which crashed near base. As already stated another crashed near Masham. Only two completed their flights.

Pilot - Sgt Stanley Chadwick RAFVR, aged 21, of Walney Island, buried Walney Island.

F Eng - Sgt Frank W Robson RAFVR, aged 30, of Hull, buried Hull Northern Cemetery.

Nav - Sgt Frank Robinson RAF, (aged 25?), of Chesterton, buried Chesterton, Newcastle under Lyme.

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Norman Martin RAF, aged 19, buried St. Marylebone Cem, Middlesex.

W Op - Sgt Donald Aitken RAFVR, aged 21, of Bognor Regis, buried Bognor Regis.

Air Gunner - Sgt Ernest Stabler RAFVR, aged 20, of Disington, buried Disington, Northumberland.

Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Vincent RAFVR, aged 19, of Wednesfield, buried Wednesfield, Staffs.

The majority of the remaining wreckage of the Halifax.

Me with part of the under carriage.

Myself and Will Lund first visited Great Whernside in November 2002. I have been back a number of times since.

Will Lund with some armour plating.