Halifax near Trowbridge Farm, Ness

This Halifax crashed landed on the 2nd of Jan 1945 near Ness, it had taken off for a practice bombing training flight over Pickering ranges. Soon after take off and when the aircraft had got to 2000 feet the port outer engines failed, the pilot feathered this and made back for base. Soon after the starboard outer engine also failed and the aircraft began to loose height rapidly, the under-carriage was then lowered. With returning back to Wombleton not an option as too much height had been lost, at 23.35hrs he crash landed the aircraft on a field afew miles short of the runway. The aircraft caught fire and burnt out although the crew had made good their escape. One airman sustained some injuries. As regard blame, the flight engineer was said to have been at fault for selecting the wrong fuel tanks. They were:

Pilot - P/O Richard A Reith RCAF, of ?

F Eng - Sgt Tom H Lightly RCAF, of?

Nav - Sgt Jim R D Baker RCAF, of?

B/A - P/O Theodore Neil "Ted" Boehk RCAF, of ?

W Op - Sgt R C Wilkes RCAF, of?

Air Gunner - Sgt Linc D Johnson RCAF, of?

Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Sklar RCAF, of?

Left to right. Lightly, Wilks, Boehk, Reith, Sklar, Baker and Johnson all RCAF. They later went on to serve with 426 Sqdn. This photograph is taken from Richard Koval's 6 Group website ""www.rcaf.com/6group"" and is supplied through Mr D Nicholson, nephew of F/Sgt Johnson. Ted Boehk died in 1999 and prior to his death he lived in Westville, Nova Scotia, Canada.

This is probably the aircraft from which a Merlin was excavated in the 1980s, I have been unable to contact the gentleman, a Mr Pillow, who dug it up to ask him though.

I have yet to locate and visit the site.