Halifax near Raskelf.
The crew of this Halifax were returning from a raid on Berlin on 15/16th Febuary 1944, the aircraft had taken off from Tholthorpe at
17.25 hrs on the 15th. The aircraft attacked and made for home, whilst on its return the altimeter began to play up and the wireless failed.
The weather over Tholthorpe closed in with fog being present, due to the radio fault the crew were not aware of an order to divert to
another base to land.
The aircraft made three overshoots whilst trying to land in the fog. At 00.50hrs and on the fourth attempt on going
round again the aircraft flew into the ground near Raskelf, killing two of the crew. For this date in question Sunbeck
railway signalbox's record book stated that the aircraft crashed onto the line between Sunbeck and Husthwaite Gate
(a distance of 3 miles, 32 chains). From this information and other information from Police records, it would appear that the aircraft
struck the ground to the south of the Pilmoor to Coxwold stretch of the railway line near Throstle Nest Farm, to the
north west of Raskelf and caught fire. It had been airborne for almost seven and a half hours. A brief entry on the
Tholthorpe O.R.B. stated "420 Sq. aircraft crashed on landing. 2 killed."
Built to contract ACFT/1808/C4/C by English Electric Company Ltd at Salmesbury this aircraft was then delivered directly to 420 Sqdn
at Dalton on the 23rd of November 1943. The aircraft moved with the unit to Tholthorpe on 11th December 1943. It sustained Cat. E2/FB Burnt
damage on 16th February 1944.
Soon after this incident 640 Sqdn were to loose another aircraft, some miles to the north-west, near Ravenscar on the
North Yorkshire Moors, it features on the 1944 part of my "Moors" listings to this website.
Pilot - F/O Harold E Damgaard RCAF (J24475), injured. He had a total of 270 hours flying time when this crash occured, 40 of which were on the Halifax type.
F Eng - Sgt F V Harvey RAF, injured.
? - F/Sgt G J Masur RCAF, injured.
? - F/O A M Taylor RCAF, injured.
W Op / Air Gunner - WO1 Lloyd L Whale RCAF, aged 25, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Buried on 21st Feb 1944.
? - Sgt S Fletcher RCAF, injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Bernard Downey RCAF, aged 23, of Doyles, Great Codroy, Newfoundland. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Buried on 21st Feb 1944.
Of these injuries, three were serious injuries, two less severe.
Bernard Downey and his gravestone.
Lloyd whale's gravestone.
""Flight Lieutenant Damgaard on the completion of his first operational tour has proven himself to be a courageous
and skilful captain of his aircraft. Undaunted by a serious crash which occurred on his return from his first operational flight,
Flight Lieutenant Damgaard returned to operations, and on many heavily defended targets in Germany and France demonstrated his exceptional
qualities of leadership and coolness in the face of enemy fire. This officer's tenacity, endurance and fine offensive spirit have
set a high standard of morale within the squadron and it is strongly recommended that he be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.""
Harold Damgaard passed away on 26th April 1990, aged 76 years, he lived at Salmon Arm, British Columbia.
An Air Bomber Arthur McLellan Taylor was killed on 9th April 1945 serving with 408 Sqdn, there is a possibility of him being
the same man as on board the 420 sqdn aircraft crash described above, having recovered from his injuries he was undertaking a second
tour of duty. This needs further research to confirm either way however.
I have yet to locate and visit the crash site.
Harold Damgaard was later awarded the DFC when serving with 420 Sqdn, the award being effective from 1st December 1944. He was born
in Kamloops, British Columbia in 1914 and lived in Salmon Arm, British Columbia. He was a bus driver prior to enlisting in Vancouver on
17th October 1940. He trained at 1 ITS (graduated 3 July 1942), 7 EFTS (graduated 9 October 1942) and 5 SFTS (graduated 19 March 1943).
He was commissioned in 1943. There was no citation for the DFC other than "..in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in
the execution of air operations against the enemy."
He was recommended from the award on the 12th September 1944 when he had flown 36 sorties (172 hours 35 minutes) in a tour dating between
7th October 1943 to 9th September 1944. Reference is also made to a crash on his first operational sortie;
this I gather would have been a "nickel" flight to Beauvais on 7th October 1943; probably injured, his next sortie was not until 27th January 1944
(as a 2nd pilot flying to Berlin). The recomendation reads...
WO Whale reported for training on 15 February 1941, after he graduated he took part in coastal patrols of Chatham, N.B. Canada.
He went to England in May 1943. His tour was to have ended in April 1944 less than two months after this accident, when he was
to return home and marry in August 1944, this was not to be however. He had a brother Russell Whale RCN who served on board HMS
Sheffield. His father served in the First World War, being injured in 1916.
I would like to thank the family of Bernard Downey for contacting me and I hope the information I was able to provide was of some interest.
Thanks to my father for the Sunbeck record.