Halifax HX147 near New Earswick, York.
The crew on board this Halifax were undertaking a training flight on 11th July 1944 when it crashed
just north of York. It had taken off from Wombleton at 22.10hrs the previous night. At 03.25hrs it crashed very close to a road between
the Bumper Castle pub and Rowntrees chocolate factory and burnt out. All on board were sadly killed. The reasons for the crash occuring
were never fully understood. Prior to the crash it was thought that the starboard outer engine had failed and had been feathered,
though this alone would not have caused a crash of this nature. It was possible that another engine had failed and
the pilot had then lost control. The aircraft may well have entered a flat spin just prior to the crash as its forward
speed was decribed as "negligable". There is a strongly held belief that this Halifax had collided with an unknown Wellington prior to its actual crash.
Such an occurance would not be impossible but there is no suggestion of this occuring in offical documents. At 03.55hrs East Moor's
crash team and an engineer were called to the site where they removed a
number of 20lb fragmention bombs back to East Moor for disposal. These were blown up in the crater
made by another bomb left at East Moor the day before, the resulting crater was now 40 feet across and 15 feet deep. The crew
involved included two navigators.
The more detailed accident record card (AM765c) has been sourced from Canadian records which adds a little more information
The training flight had lasted just over five hours.
the investigation stated that it was thought that the aircraft had little forward motion when it crashed and as it had overflown
Rawcliffe it appeared that the engines were cutting out. The examination of the wreckage found that it hit the ground in a level position
and that the starboard outer airscrew was feathered but no technical defect was found. The rudder trim had been applied in the wrong
direction which combined with a slow forward speed would cause a flat spin to develop.
Pilot - F/Lt John D Best RCAF (J/11043), aged 24, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Bernard A Barker RAFVR (1392337), aged 22, of Norbury, Surrey, buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
Navigator - F/O Victor Zoratti RCAF (J/35036), aged 30, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Isabella Ruxton Zoratti.
Navigator - F/O William A Corley RCAF (J/36334), aged 29, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Lillian Diamond Corley.
Air Bomber - F/O Johnny P Kolomic RCAF (R/35077), aged 20, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
WOp/AG - WO1 Robert K Moore RCAF (R/124087)), aged 22, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Doris Margaret Moore.
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Neil J Kidney RCAF (R/215860), aged 21, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Rear Gunner - Sgt Raymond F Simmons RCAF (R/173565), aged 22, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Beatrice Arlene Kendall Postlethwaite Simmons.
The pilot had a total of 408 hours flying time when he lost his life, only 23 hours of these being on the Halifax.
I thank Mr Tom Bayne, nephew of Sgt Simmons for contacting me in 2005 and for the additional information he was able to supply to this
account. The sketch shown below was made by Ray Simmons during his training in Canada. During his training in Canada he was involved in an
accident in which he broke his kneecap, he recovered but was left with a limp and was initially blocked from going overseas. After protesting
this was reversed and he went overseas to England. He was born on 20th June 1920
A Meteor would crash very close to this site some years later, the aircraft vertually disappearing into its own crater.
Halifax HX147 was built to contract ACFT/1688/C4/C by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett and delivered to 405 Squadron at Gransden Lodge
in 8 Group PFF on the 11th August 1943. This unit was in the process of converting to Lancasters so the aircraft was immediately
transferred to 35 Squadron at Graveley, also a PFF unit. In late 1943 it was transferred to 428 Squadron at Middleton St.George
in 6 Group and it's final transfer was to 1666 HCU to whom it transferred in June 1944. It was destroyed in the incident detailed
above with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded.
I do know roughly where the aircraft crashed but have not yet searched the road verge, hedges of fields for any sign of
the aircraft today. A local man planned a memorial to be erected close to the site in 2008 but it never materialized.