Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire.

Halifax JD372 near Slingsby, Malton.

Halifax JD372 and its nose art "Easy Does It" when it was serving with 429 Squadron.

At 21.45hrs on 23rd July 1944 this Halifax set out from Wombleton airfield so the crew could carry out a combined training flight consisting of a "Command Bullseye" exercise and a fighter affiliation exercise. As it neared base on the return and flying at 7000 feet the starboard outer engine caught fire, before a landing could be made it resulted in control being lost and the aircraft spinning out of control into the ground at 03.55hrs close to what is known as the Sheep Walk, near Slingsby. East Moor airfield's emergency crew were dispatched at 04.00hrs but it took them some time to find the site which they eventaully did at 07.30hrs and the aircrarft was found burnt out. Sadly all on board had died in the accident. This incident is one of the more local accidents to where I grew up and would welcome further information from local people on this incident or any in the Ryedale area.

Pilot - P/O Archibald D Moffat RCAF (J/88479), aged 21, of East Kildonan, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Iain Livingstone RAFVR (1895678), aged 33, of Glenlonan, Oban, Argyll & Bute, Scotland. Buried Pennyfuir Cemetery, Oban.

Navigator - F/O George A Lewthwaite RCAF (J/37164), aged 30, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

WOp/AG - P/O Frank H Green RCAF (J/89296), aged 23, of Calgary, Canada. Buried St Pancras Cemetery, London. Husband of Nellie Green of Parkstone, Dorsetshire.

Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Donald F Dittmer RCAF (R/179976), aged 24, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Air Gunner - Sgt Albert C Reynolds RCAF (R/203113), aged 20, of Tornoto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Rear Gunner - Sgt John M Ludlow RCAF (R/209460), aged 19, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

The pilots gravestone. He was born on 5th January 1923 at Grace Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba. His father was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and his mother in Milldamhead, Dumphrieshire but both had emigrated to Canada. Archibald Moffat had a total of 241 hours flying time at the time of the crash with thirty seven hours on the Halifax type. It semes likely that he had received his commission after his death as his rank on the RAF's AM form 1180 is given as Sergeant (R/186738).

George Lewthwaite and his gravestone at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Gravestones of the others buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery and Sgt Livingstone's found on the internet in Oban Cemetery.

Halifax JD372 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by E.E.C. Ltd at Salmesbury and delivered to 408 Squadron at Leeming during the last week of July 1943. In August 1943 408 Squadron started to convert to Lancaster MkII's and moved to Linton on Ouse. JD372 was left behind at Leeming awaiting the arrival of a new unit. 429 Squadron took the aircraft on charge in September 1943 but it's stay with them was short lived, the unit converted to Halifax MkV's in November 1943 so it now found it's way to 419 Squadron at Middleton St.George. 419 Squadron then converted to Lancaster MkX's in March 1944 and JD372 was transferred to 1666 HCU at Wombleton for a training role. It was destroyed in the inident near Slingsby detailed above with Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage being recorded.