Halifax near Crayke.

The crew on this Halifax were returning from a cross-country navigation-exercise when the aircraft's starboard outer engine failed and was feathered. After overshooting one landing at East Moor the crew went round again and after suffering trouble with another engine the pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed two hours into the flight near Crayke at 20.05hrs on the 2nd of March 1944. The seven of the eight man crew on board sadly died.

The aircrafts history is brief, it was built to Contract ACFT/1808/C4/C by E.E.C. Ltd at Salmesbury and was ready for collection in October 1943. It was delivered to 425 Sqdn at Dishforth in November 1943 and moved with unit to Tholthorpe on 9th December 1943. It sustained Cat. E2/FA Burnt damage in the incident detailed above on 2nd March 1944.

Pilot - Sgt Joseph H T R Bertrand RCAF, aged 19, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Laurette Bertrand.

FEng - Sgt James E Dix RAFVR, aged 38, of Stockport, buried Norbury, Cheshire. One of the oldest airmen to be lost in Bomber Command.

AB - P/O Elbert C Bousquet RCAF, aged 19, of Wilkie, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

WOp/AG - P/O Christian J J L Goudreau RCAF, aged 22, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

AG - P/O Ronald J Trudel RCAF, aged 25, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Catherine Trudel.

AG - P/O Douglas N Hay RCAF, aged 32, of Belleview, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Emilie Hay.

AG - Sgt Charles E Cote RCAF, aged 22, of Quebec City. Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Nav - F/S Joseph O L Houle RCAF, of Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Canada. Seriously injured but survived.

The pilot's headstone.