On the 7th of February 1944 the crew of this aircraft took off for a day time training flight. At 10.15hrs and whilst flying in low cloud the aircraft flew into the top of Garrowby Hill, some miles to the west of Stamford Bridge, crossed a road and caught fire. Sadly the crew died as a result of the crash. A milk lorry happened to be travelling up the road at the time and the aircraft struck this lorry, the driver of which was also killed. One of the crew was able to escape from the burning aircraft and ran to rescuers for help, he was taken to York hosptial but sadly died soon after. A member of this aircrafts regular crew was in hospital at the time and had lost all of his crew, he would later complete his training and be posted to an operational squadron. It was through the efforts of this man, Mr Alun Emlyn-Jones, the crew's regular bomb aimer and through others that a memorial stone was erected at the crash site and unveiled on 8th May 1996.

Brian Mennell's "Wings Over York" book gives a superb account of this incident, I do not wish copy his work as the book is still available to buy and is well worth the the money. Many of the crew are pictured in this book.

On 1st August 1999 a ghostly figure thought to have been one of the crew was seen at the crash site who apparently spoke to a lady who had parked in the lay-by where the memorial is sited.

Instructor Pilot - F/Lt Alfred John Stanley Hodson DFC RAFVR (130663), aged ? Of ? Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (Sec. C. Row K. Grave 19.)

Trainee Pilot - F/Sgt Stanley Bright RAFVR (1042582), aged 22, of Westerhope. Buried All Saints Cemetery, Newcastle upon Tyne (Sec. E. Cons. Grave 108.)

W Op / AG - Sgt Kenneth Smith RAFVR (1577088), aged 22, of Hednesdford, Cannock. Buried Hednesford Churchyard (Sec. E. Row 12. Grave 3.)

F Eng - Sgt John Frederick Nelson RAFVR (1796160), aged 21, of Belfast. Buried Belfast City Cemetery (Sec L1, grave 304).

Nav - F/O John Kingsley Meyler RAFVR (151321), aged 25, of Jarrow. Buried Jarrow Cemetery (sec 3, grave 258).

AG - Sgt Peter Gordon McDonald RAFVR (1822055), aged 19, of Bearsden, Dunbartonshire. Buried Glasgow Western Necropolis. (sec D, grave 1040).

AG - Sgt Sidney James Booker RAFVR (1866190), aged ? Of London. Buried City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, London. (Square 328. Grave 111442).

Lorry Driver - Mr Arthur Wood Kirkby, aged 39, of 3 Carlton Street, Hessle Road, Hull. He worked for the London and North Eastern Railway and was a member of the Home Guard. His burial location is not yet known.

The instructor, Alfred Hodson, had previously served with 76 Sqdn and was awarded his DFC after completing a Tour of Duty whilst flying with that Unit. He received the medal a month prior to his death.

The memorial stone as photographed in July 2006.