Lancaster DS851 near East Moor airfield.

On the night of 2nd/3rd December 1943 the crew of this Lancaster were tasked with Ops to Berlin, this aircraft was damaged by cannon and machine-gun fire from an unknown aircraft on the return. The pilot managed to shake the (presumed) enemy aircraft off but not before the mid-upper turret was knocked out of action and pressure lines damaged. On landing at East Moor the aircraft overshot the runway and ran into the fields beyond and badly damaged at 00.35hrs. While there is no mention of it running into trees, the map reference found in a police report suggests that it did. This record also gives slightly differing information, stating it "force landed near the Wigginton to Sheriff Hutton road", but technically there is not a road between the two places! The crew escaped serious injury, but the aircraft's propellers and undercarriage were damaged. Who was exactly in this crew is open to some questioning at present, two books quote different names. The best guess is shown below.

Pilot - F/O C V Wales RCAF (J/6174).

Nav - F/Sgt J S Evans RAF (1391057?).

AB - Sgt W J T Garvey RAF (1445910).

WOp/AG - Sgt John H Aplin RAFVR (1270708). His parents lived in Kingsford, New Sout Wales, Australia.

FEng - Sgt J Dickinson RAF.

RG - F/Lt Guy H Rainville DFM RCAF (R/55373). His wife lived at Port Perry, Quebec, Canada.

MUG - Sgt D Thomas RAF,

All of those named above, excepting Sgt Dickinson were on board Lancaster DS850 on 14th January 1944 when it was hit by an IB from above which holed the aircraft's fueltanks. The crew were ordered to bale out, two of the crew were killed including Sgt Aplin who is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, he was twenty one years old. The rest became PoW's.
F/Lt Rainville's DFM was gained whilst he was serving with 419 Squadron. His award was effective from 16th June 1942 (as per London Gazette 22nd September 1942). He was born in Montreal in 1913 and his home was in Quebec where he was an agriculture student. He enlisted there 29th June 1940. Later he served in 425 Squadron and was Gunnery Leader with 419 Squadron when the DFM was awarded. He was invested with award by King George VI on 18th May 1943. The citation reads.. "This airman is employed as an air gunner. He has at all times displayed exemplary qualities and his work had been completed in an assuming yet forceful manner. By his skill and teamwork he has played a good part in the success of the crews with whom he has flown. He has participated in attacks on dockyard installations and industrial targets both in Germany and German occupied territory. His courage and tenacity have been noteworthy."

In the recommendation for the award the date is missing however he is listed as completing thirty eight operational flights (totalling 188 hours and 35 minutes) when the DFM was awarded with the following recommendation.. "F/Sgt Rainville has completed thirty eight sorties against the enemy, thirty one of which were with this squadron. His determination in the execution of his duties account in a large part for this number of sorties. He displayed at all times most exemplary qualities and his work was carried out in an unassuming yet forceful manner. His cool and cooperative execution of his duties while on operations has played a great part in the successes of the crews with which he has flown." and "F/Sgt Rainville is of French-Canadian descent, and as such he has set a fine example for future French-Canadian aircrew. His ability, courage, tenacity and coolness qualify him for official recognition." The following is a list of these thirty eight operational flights.

20th October 1941 - Antwerp (docks)

23th October 1941 - Kiel (docks)

7th November 1941 - Essen (industrial)

30th November 1941 - Hamburg (docks)

28th December 1941 - Wilhelmshaven (docks)

9th January 1942 - Brest (docks)

17th January 1942 - Bremen (docks)

1st March 1942 - Dinghy search, North Sea

8th March 1942 - Essen (industrial)

10th March 1942 - Essen (industrial)

25th March 1942 - Essen (industrial)

28th March 1942 - Essen (industrial)

8th April 1942 - Hamburg (docks)

10th April 1942 - Gardening off Dutch Coast

12th April 1942 - Essen (industrial)

14th April 1942 - Dortmund (industrial)

15th April 1942 - Dortmund (industrial)

15th April 1942 - Cologne (industrial)

22nd April 1942 - Dortmund (industrial)

24th April 1942 - Rostock (industrial)

26th April 1942 - Rostock (industrial)

2nd May 1942 - Larochelle (docks)

4th May 1942 - Stuttgart (industrial)

17th May 1942 - Borkum (industrial)

19th May 1942 - Mannheim (industrial)

21st May 1942 - Lorient (docks)

30th May 1942 - Cologne (industrial)

2nd June 1942 - Essen (industrial)

6th June 1942 - Emden (industrial)

8th June 1942 - Essen (industrial)

18th June 1942 - Emden (industrial)

19th June 1942 - Emden (industrial)

21st June 1942 - Borkum (industrial)

22nd June 1942 - Emden (industrial)

25th June 1942 - Bremen (docks)

27th June 1942 - Bremen (docks)

29th June 1942 - Bremen (docks)

2nd July 1942 - Bremen (docks)

8th July 1942 - Wilhelmshaven (docks)

Information found in Hugh Halliday's RCAF awards research and full credit to him.

Lancaster DS851 was built to contract AC 239 by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton and delivered to MU for preparation in October 1943 and was issued to 432 Squadron at East Moor the following month. It was destroyed in the incident detailed above with Cat.E2/FB being recorded on 3rd December 1943.