Wellington at Huntington, York.
A Wellington but NOT Wellington HZ303 as reported on another website, the coding "KW" was a 425 Sqdn aircraft not a 429 Sqdn aircraft.
This aircraft took off for an air test at 15.10 hrs on the 14th of April 1943, it headed north and turned over
Kilburn, the aircraft must then have flown back over base and roughly south of East Moor. Whilst over Huntington the aircraft
went into a spin before loosing power on both engines at 1000 feet. The aircraft crashed into the centre of the village at 16.10hrs
and ploughed through two
civilian houses not far from near the village church. The wreckage caught fire, the crew were killed in the crash. There are mixed reports that
either two or three civilians also lost their lives (police reports state three women). The aircraft was so badly destroyed that the
cause was impossible to determine, although engine
failure was not ruled out. On the 9th of April 1943 this aircraft had suffered very minor flak damage to it's port side
but it was repaired and back on Ops the following evening and it was not logged as Cat.A/FB on it's record card
as the repair was completed by it's ground crew. Whether this repair was later worked upon and the airtest was then to test this work at the time
of the crash it is not known.
The aircraft had completed only 2 Operational flights when this incident occured. It was built to contract 92439/40 by Vickers
Armstrong's Ltd at Blackpool and was delivered to 38 MU at Llandow and after acceptance was issued to 429 Sqdn at East Moor on
1st April 1943. Damaged was recorded as Cat.E2/FA Burnt at Huntington in the incident detailed above.
Pilot - F/O Charles W G Gray RAFVR, aged 26, of Edinburgh, cremated Edinburgh Warriston Crematorium. He had a total of 233 hours flying time, 83 of these being on the Wellington type. Joined 429 Sqdn from RAFS Lossiemouth on 15 March 1943.
Nav - P/O Leslie A Walker RAFVR, aged 21, of Aberdeen, buried Aberdeen Springbank Cemetery. Joined 429 Sqdn from RAFS Lossiemouth on 15 March 1943.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Cyril Marr RAFVR, aged 22, of Heaton, Newcastle-on-Tyne, buried Byker and Heaton Cemetery, Newcastle. Joined 429 Sqdn from RAFS Lossiemouth on 15 March 1943.
W Op / Air Gunner - Sgt Willie J Whittaker RAFVR, aged 21, of Cottingley Bridge, Bingley, Yorkshire. Buried Bingley Cemetery, Yorkshire. Joined 429 Sqdn from RAFS Lossiemouth on 15 March 1943.
Rear Gunner - F/Sgt Robert E Clark RCAF, aged 21, of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Buried Sutton on the Forest Cemetery, Yorkshire. Joined 429 Sqdn from RAFS Lossiemouth on 15 March 1943.
Civilian - Jane Raby Freer, aged 89, (Huntington, Flaxton.)
Civilian - Henrietta Morley, aged 73, (Ryedale, Huntington, Flaxton.)
Civilian - Clara Jane Pickard, aged 70, (Ryedale, Huntington, Flaxton.)
The house was re-built on the crash site in the years after the War and given the name "Phoenix Cottage".
F/Sgt Clark's headstone. On the 17th April 1943 Sgt Clark was interred at Sutton on the Forest Cemetery, F/Lt Lowry was assisted
by Rev Canon Coombs, the village rector, an escort from the RAF Regiment was provided and Sgt Clark's body was carried to his
grave by fellow 429 Sqdn Air Gunners.
All airmen had reported to 429 Sqdn from RAFS Lossiemouth on the 15th of March 1943.