On 7th October 1940 the crew of this aircraft took off from Linton on Ouse at 06.35hrs to undertake a coastal reconnaissance flight. It would be the pilot's first such flight since joining the Squadron and later with the reconnaissance part of the flight complete the aircraft received a signal from their base to say that they were to return home. With the coastal part of the flight complete the crew headed inland and the aircraft then made for Carlton in Cleveland and over a "Divisional Headquarters" presumably of Army Co-Operation work for which the squadron was responsible for. Whilst no orders were given to fly there it seemed likely that the pilot, with his relatively experienced gunner, was taking the opportunity of familiarising himself with the region for flights in the future. The aircraft made a number of low passes over a nearby message dropping field. At 07.52hrs on one such pass the aircraft was seen to dive into the ground at high speed and from a height of around 50 feet into a field close the Carlton to Faceby road near to what is now the northern edge of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park boundary. The reason for the crash was never fully understood, it was thought the pilot lost control while flying unusually low. No.4 Squadron's ORB simply states "crashed whilst low flying at Carlton." The aircraft was written off and the sadly the crew of two were killed.
Lysander R9056 was built to contract 23637/39 by The Westland Aircraft Co.Ltd. at Yeovil and was awaiting collection on 26th July 1940. After MU acceptance it was issued to 4 Squadron at Linton on Ouse. It was written off with Cat.W/FA damage being the damage assessment made after the above incident on 7th October 1940.
Pilot - P/O Richard Waugh Harris RAF (42988), aged 22. Buried Newton-on-Ouse Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Marcus Rudolph Harvey RAF (936278), aged 29. Buried Acklam Cemetery, Middlesbrough.
Richard Harris was born on 1st July 1918 at Stone, Staffordshire and was the son of Gilbert Harvey and Muriel Cavington (nee Perks) Harris. It appears that he had served in the Army until March 1940 when, as a 2nd Lt in the Royal Engineers (TA), he transferred to the RAF as a P/O on Probation on 7th March 1940.
Marcus Harvey was the son of Bernard and Ann (nee Mitford) Harvey and was born in Middlesbrough on 27th June 1911. The family was living at Lincoln Street (which was demolished in 1965) in the 1921 Census. In the 1939 Register the family were living at Whinney Bank Road, Linthorpe, Middlesbrough which his occupation purely listed as "clerk" He is buried in a joint grave with his younger brother Bernard Harvey who was sadly killed on 27th September 1940 whilst serving with 106 Squadron when Hampden X2914 crashed in Somerset. Clearly loosing two sons in a week must have been horrendous for their family.
The crash site is thought to be within the area shown in this photograph between the villages of Faceby and Carlton and close to the ajoining road.