The Lysander crashed on 7th October 1940; the crew took off base at 06.35hrs to undertake a coastal
reconnaissance flight. It would be the pilots first such flight since joining the Squadron. The reconnaissance part of the flight was done and base was
signalled to say that they were to return. The aircraft then made for Carlton in Cleveland and a "Divisional Headquarters" presumably of
Army Co-Op work.
Whilst no orders were given to fly here it seemed likely that the pilot, with his relatively experienced gunner, were 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 usually low. 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 waiting 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 recorded in the above incident on 7th October 1940.
Pilot - P/O Richard Waugh Harris RAF (42988), aged 22, of Stone, Staffordshire. Buried Newton-on-Ouse Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Marcus Rudolph Harvey RAF (936278), aged 29, of Acklam, Middlesbrough. Buried Acklam Cemetery, Middlesbrough. He is buried in a joint grave.
The pilot's headstone at Newton on Ouse, Yorkshire. 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.
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.
Marcus Harvey 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.
