During the morning of 28th January 1943 the crew of this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Leeming airfield for a flight that was close to the end of the training course and what was initially to have been an air to sea firing exercise. The crew undertook this part of the flight, which would have been over the North Sea off the Yorkshie Coast and flew back toward Leeming. While on the return toward Leeming they undertook a controlled descent through clouds practice. On their return to the general area of Leeming they contacted flying control to seek permission to remain in the air and to undertake some local flying because the crew needed just one hour's flying time to complete their flying training. They were given permission for the additional flying so, at what they believed was safe height, they headed roughly west on the reciprocal course of the 250' beam away from Leeming airfield. This took them into cloud but as the pilot later stated that he believed he was flying at 3500 feet above the ground they would safely avoid the highest hills in the Pennine chain. The distance they had intended to fly out along the beam is unclear. After flying away west they planned to make a turn toward the north to roughly to cross the Leeming beam, they had planned to turn back around and when they crossed the beam again they would fly east back down the beam toward Leeming and land. After flying west and into the hills they made the north turn and flew that course for several minutes but flew into the ground.
The accident reports I have seen make no mention as to what may have caused them to fly into the ground. It does not state that they did the common crash cause in descending in cloud while over high ground. It seems most likely that after making the initial controlled descent prior to initially reaching Leeming the aircraft remained at an unsafe height as it headed too far west into the Pennines.
The aircraft crashed onto the slopes of Great Shunner Fell to the west of Thwaite in Upper Swaledale at 12.28hrs. On crashing the aircraft caught fire. Although badly injured one of the crew, Sgt Pudney, who struck his head on various items in the gun turret and was suffering from severe cuts to his face and head, assisted by the pilot, P/O LeFebvre, he returned to the burning aircraft several times to extract the crew who were trapped inside. Sgt Pudney then walked several miles to seek help. When help arrived those who had survived were taken to Catterick Military Hospital where sadly F/Sgt Askew died at 23.20hrs on 29th January 1943. For his efforts Sgt Pudney was awarded a richly deserved George Medal, the eighth such award to RCAF personnel in the War to date. The citation for his award adds extra detail to the accident, it reads..
"While engaged on a local practice flight the Halifax aircraft in which Sergeant Pudney was flying as mid-upper gunner struck high ground, crashed and burst into flames. Three members of the crew were killed and the others, with the exception of Sergeant Pudney, were too severely injured to extricate themselves from the burning wreckage. Though suffering from severe lacerations on his face and in spite of loss of blood and shock, Sergeant Pudney entered the blazing aircraft several times and finally succeeded in bringing all his companions out. He then struggled over rough moorland for two miles to obtain help."
Navigator - Sgt Richard Edward Drago RAFVR (1391710), aged 22. Buried Ripon Cemetery, North Yorkshire.
Observer - F/Sgt Joseph Henri Alphonse Beliveau RCAF (R/77189), aged 30. Buried Ripon Cemetery, North Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Dennis Stone RAFVR (1270251), aged 20. Buried Mitcham Road Cemetery, Croydon, Surrey.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt John Ruskin Askew RCAF (R/134417), aged 23. Died of injuries. Buried Ripon Cemetery, North Yorkshire.
Pilot - P/O Edmund Raoul Herve Yvon LeFebvre RCAF (J/16317). Injured.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Hugh McGeach RCAF (R/68465). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Clinton Landis Pudney RCAF (R/139022). Injured.
Halifax W1146 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd., at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection on 3rd March 1942. The aircraft was first taken on charge by 10 Squadron on 28th May 1942 before passing to 35 Squadron on the same date. It was used by 35 Squadron on the night of 1st / 2nd June 1942 when it was flown on an operational flight and carried the code "TL-W". It remained at 35 Squadron for several months and was used operationally fourteen more times but carried the squadron code "TL-D" for all of these flights. On two occasions early returns resulted from problems with the starboard outer engine. It's last operational flight with 35 Squadron was on the night of 9th / 10th November 1942. On 13th November 1942 it was flown to Melbourne to re-join 10 Squadron. On 18th November 1942 the aircraft was taken on charge by 78 Squadron but on the same date it then joined 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Leeming. I cannot prove it actually went to 78 Squadron and it may have only been a transfer on paper. On 10th January 1943 some form of ground accident occurred at Leeming and it sustained Cat.A/FA damage, the incident's AM Form 1180 is hard to read but suggests propeller damage when stationary after a lorry collided with it. A repair on site was carried out. As a result of crashing near Keld, Swaledale on 28th January 1943 the damage assessment was deemed to be Cat.E2/FA Burnt and it was struck off charge on the same date.
F/Sgt Beliveau appears to have been known by his third Christian name, Alphonse. He was born on 15th July 1916 in St.Germain de Grantham, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Wilfred and Marie Anne (nee Bonin) Beliveau. As a young man he attended university gaining a degree but his attestation form was written in French and I cannot read it to gain further details about his life prior to joining the RCAF. He enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 16th October 1940 and initially undertook pilot training, he later switched to navigator training. On 19th December 1941 he was flying with No.8 AOS in Anson 6516 when the aircraft was force landed in bad weather by the captain near Joliette, Quebec without injury to him. After completing his training in Canada he was posted to the UK arriving in May 1942. He then trained at 9 (O)AFU, 14 OTU and 23 OTU before posting to 1659 HCU on 17th December 1942. As he was born on 15th July 1916 with this information coming from his family and his service records it therefore means that the age of thirty as shown on his gravestone in Ripon Cemetery is incorrect and should read twenty six years old. The photograph of Alphonse Beliveau shown here has been sourced by Canadian film director Gregoire Bedard who produced a documentary into the wartime casualties in his city in 2010. I thank him for his contact and for the information he has been kind enough to share to this account. As a result of Mr Bedard requiring footage of the crash site and the general Swaledale area I returned to film the site for him in 2010 and made my film debut in Canada.
John Askew was born on 22nd May 1919 in Cartwright, Manitoba, Canada and was the son of William Ruskin and Josephine (nee Robinson) Askew. He was working as a farm foreman when he enlisted for RCAF service in Winnipeg on 10th October 1941. After basic training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 17th July 1942 and was posted to the UK soon after. After training at 23 OTU, beginning on 22nd September 1942 he was then posted to 1659 HCU on 17th December 1942. He died of his injuries after being taken to Catterick Military Hospital.
Clinton Landis Pudney was born on 20th September 1922 and was the son of Herbert Eugene and Katherine Anna (nee Bennett) Pudney at Oneonta, New York State, USA but the family later moved to Pelmar, Buffalo, New York, USA. He had two sisters and their father died in May 1933. As a young man he worked for Curtis Wright Corporation in their aviation division as an airframe mechanic. He enlisted into the RCAF at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on 25th October 1941. Following his initial training in Canada arrived in the UK on 6th November 1942, he reported to 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit on 20th December 1942. After taking time to recover from his injuries sustained in the accident detailed above he completed his training and was posted to 405 Squadron who were based at Gransden Lodge. By 8th April 1943 he had completed at least four operation flights. On 16th June 1943 Halifax HR832 in which he was flying crashed after being struck by lightning near Clifton Farm, Kings Lynn, Norfolk during a routine training flight. Again Clinton Pudney pulled his crew from the burning aircraft and then again he walked two miles for help. Sadly all his crew died and he eventually succombed to the injuries he had sustained. He had only been notified that he was to receive the George Medal for the first crash three days before this second accident and it is doubtful that he was presented with it by the time he died. He is buried at Sutton Bridge Cemetery, Norfolk and was only twenty one years old. This researcher would suggest his actions on the day he died were of a similar degree of gallantry to those displayed in Yorkshire. At the time of his death the George Medal was not awarded posthumously so this probably accounts for why he was not recommended for a Bar to the George Medal.
Some older publications incorrectly state the pilot name, the correct spelling is that shown in the crew list above. Edmund Yvon Lefebvre is also incorrectly recorded in other publications as being discharged from the RCAF following this incident because of being permanently medically unfit; not so; he continued his service and was later awarded the DFC. Through the superb research by Hugh Halliday it transpires that he was born on 3rd November 1920 in Legal, Alberta and lived there and in Morinville, Alberta, Canada prior to enlisting for RCAF service. He was educated in Alberta and in Los Angeles, USA but enlisted in Edmonton on 18th July 1941. Having initially trained in Canada at 4 ITS (graduated 3rd October 1941), 18 EFTS (graduated 4th December 1941) and 15 SFTS (graduated 27th March 1942) he was posted to the UK. It is assumed that he took the usual course of postings in the UK as other RCAF pilots but the exact units are not known. He recovered from his injuries sustained in the incident in January 1943 at 1659 HCU and returned to active service. He appears to have been taken off bomber flying and put down the role of being a staff pilot at various Bomber Command support training units. On 28th September 1943 he was serving with 1691 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight when he was involved in a minor flying accident at Dalton in Martinet MS556. On 24th April 1944 he was the pilot of Martinet MS550 of 1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight based at Dalton. His exact postings after this are not known but he was later posted to 424 Squadron, the unit where his DFC was awarded, effective from 15th March 1945 as per London Gazette of 23rd March 1945. There was no citation other than "completed.. many successful operations against the enemy in which (he has) displayed high skill, fortitude and devotion to duty." The recommendation for the Award is dated 20th November 1944 when he had flown 30 sorties (155 hours 5 minutes flying) between 18th July to 4th November 1944. It adds extra information, and reads..
"Flying Officer Lefebvre has proved himself to be a pilot and captain of exceptional ability. He has completed a large number of operational sorties over the most heavily defended targets in Germany, raids on precision targets in enemy-occupied territory and several important mining orties in enemy waters. He has consistently displayed a high standard of courage and determination and his airmanship has been an example to all other pilots on the squadron. His fine crew spirit has made itself felt in all sections of the unit and his keenness and skill as a pilot is an inspiration to all aircrews. Flying Officer Lefebvre has at all times been willing to do more than his share of routine work in the Flight and his help to new pilots has been invaluable." I thank his daughter for contacting me in August 2009 and for the information she was able to add to this account, after the War he would later return to Canada and passed away on 20th December 2000. I have come across a photograph of a group of airmen on Course No.12 at 107 Operational Training Unit toward the end of the war which includes a F/O Lefebvre and this may well be him (in AIR29/611).
Richard Drago was born on 23rd November 1920 at Willesden, London and was the son of Edward Henry and Louisa Matilda (nee Brack) Drago. He had an older sister. He enlisted for RAF service on 4th June 1941 and his mother appears to have been living at Bromley, Kent at the time. He was buried at Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
John Stone was born on 15th October 1923 at Thornton Heath, Surrey and was the son of Henry James and Christine Adelaide (nee Abbott) Stone. He served in the Home Guard in 1940. His younger brother Leslie Bernard Stone RAFVR (153810) was killed in the crash involving Halifax JP128 at Rufforth airfield on 16th November 1944. They are buried in the same grave in Croydon Cemetery.
Hugh McGeach was born on 8th May 1921 at London, Ontario, Canada. He recovered from his injuries and completed his training, he was made a PoW on 10th July 1943 whilst serving with 428 Squadron when Halifax DK229 was hit by flak over Cologne, all but the pilot adandoned the aircraft.
My wife and I located the site in October 2006, small remains are to be found on the site on the slopes of Great Shunner Fell near the head of Swaledale.
The photographs below show a number of the parts found at the crash site.
The largest pieces of the aircraft still at the crash site found on the surface in a boggy area just below where the aircraft burnt out.
I believe this to be a generator and would be attached to one of the aircraft's engines.
A typical Halifax part number sequence with an English Electric "EEP" inspection stamp; the factory at Samlesbury near Preston that built Halifax W1146 on contract.