On the 19th of July 1942 this aircraft took off from Middleton St George for Ops to Vegesack, on the out-bound flight the aircraft suffered engine trouble so the crew turned round and made for home. On return to base the offending engine caught fire when it was nearly back at base. The aircraft reportedly over flew its base at 3000 feet flying erratically. The order to bale out was given and five did so successfully. The pilot and flight engineer stayed with the aircraft to try and crash-land the plane, and at 01.45rs whilst doing this on the following morning it crashed near Yarm killing both men who were still on board. The aircraft was written off with Cat E2/Burnt damage. With regard this aircraft, Middleton St.George's O.R.B. states: "19.07.42. 'B' W7670, target Vegesack. Returned early. Crashed near Yarm. Burnt out. All baled out except pilot and flight engineer."

The aircraft was built to contract B73328/40 by Handley Page at Radlett and after accpetance it was delivered to 78 Sqdn at Croft in April 1942. It was transferred to 76 Sqdn at Middleton St. George on 20th June 1942. It was a veteran of one operational flight when lost.

Pilot - WO1 Wesley L Belous RCAF (R/61812), aged ? of Stenen, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Darlington West Cemetery, Durham.

F Eng - Sgt Fred Hebron RAFVR (944060), aged 25, of Blyth, buried Cowpen Cemetery, Blyth, Northumberland.

Obs - P/O W G Rothchild RAF, ok.

AG - Sgt Peter Van Lelyveld RAFVR (778678), of Rusapi, Southern Rhodesia. Ok.

? - P/O Atkinson RAF, ok.

? - Sgt Bacon RAF, ok.

? - Sgt Davey RAF, ok.

Wesley Belous' gravestone. In March 2009 whilst researching Wesley Belous it became apparent that the records shown on the CWGC database show his rank as WO1, where as he rank on the headstone is F/Sgt. I contacted them to make them aware of this and his headstone is to be corrected to show his correct rank of WO1.

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Sgt van Lelyveld was killed on 1st October 1942 and is buried in Kiel War Cemetery.