Halifax LK761 near Huby, Easingwold.

On the evening of 16th February 1944 this aircraft was one of four taking off from East Moor to undertake a night time training exercise, 432 Squadron were on an operational "stand down" while their aircrews were converting from flying the Lancaster MkII to the Halifax MkIII during the month begining on 7th February 1944. After taking off this in a northerly direction this aircraft was believed to have climbed too steeply and a stall had then occured as the airspeed dropped off, the aircraft then fell out of the sky and dived into the ground at 19.43hrs to the north of Huby. It first crashed into a field but continued its course across a road and ended up in a small wood and caught fire and sadly all on board were killed. While the pilot was very experienced in flying other types of aircraft with 1531 hours flying to his name, he had only seven hours flying time on the Halifax and only one of these were flying the Halifax at night, this flight was almost certainly his first attempt at a solo night-time take-off aside from the usually take-offs and landings circuits exercises usually carried out when converting to aircraft types. Sadly his inexperience in flying the Halifax was said to be to blame for this incident but there is no doubt that he was a very fine and capable officer, leader and airman and it goes to show that accidents happened to even the best of pilots. He had been granted the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross only two weeks prior to this accident.

The funeral for all of the crew was held at Sutton on the Forest church on 22nd February at 09.00hrs, close to the full 432 Squadron attended the service with the burials at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery at 11.00hrs with full military honours. It is of note that this aircraft had crashed only a matter of yards from where Halifax EB198 had come down near Huby the previous year.

Pilot - S/Ldr William W Strachan DFC RCAF (J/9863), aged 28, of Trail, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Flight Engineer - P/O Joseph Gilliard RAF (54452), aged 22, of Killester, Dublin, Irish Republic. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Navigator - P/O Maurice A Martin RCAF (J/18871), aged 23, of Delisle, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Bomb Aimer - F/O Nick J Baron RCAF (J/21045), aged 29, of Spedden, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

WOp/AG - F/O Robert C Stuart RCAF (J/18402), aged 24, of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Mid Upper Gunner - 1Lt Albert L Rorke USAAF (0-886242), of Powell River, British Columbia, Canada but serving with the USAAF. Initially buried Brookwood, Surrey, re-buried Madingley, Cambridgeshire (Plot D Row 2 Grave 13).

Rear Gunner - P/O Howard M Stewart RCAF (J/19066), aged 21, of Walburg, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Husband of Mrs Dorothy M Stewart of Thirsk, Yorkshire.

This poor copy of a photograph shows the main part of Strachan's crew. P/O Gilliard is standing far right and the airmen kneeling on the left is probably Maurice Martin and kneeling on the right is probably P/O Stewart. Exactly who is who regarding the other three is not yet known.

A much better photograph of five of the Strachan Crew, taken on 26th November 1943. In their ranks as they were on that date, left to right are...

F/Lt W Strachan, 1Lt Rorke, P/O R G Stuart, (probably P/O Gilliard), F/O N J Baron, then F/Lt R H Hamilton and F/Lt H G Phillips (PL-22561).

Bill Strachan at his desk (PL-26261) and his grave at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. William Strachan was born in Arbroath, Angus, Scotland in 1916 but his family moved to Canada when he was a child. He enlisted in Vancouver on 11th June 1940. He trained at 1 ITS, 8 EFTS, 4 SFTS all in 1940. He received his commission in 1941. The citation for his DFC reads ....

"This officer has taken part in many attacks against targets in Germany and has displayed commendable skill, courage and determination. One night in January 1944 (14th January 1944), Squadron Leader Strachan piloted an aircraft which attacked Brunswick. Shortly after the bombs had been released the aircraft was hit by bullets from an enemy fighter. Much damage was sustained but Squadron Leader Strachan skilfully outmanoeuvred the attacker and afterwards flew the damaged aircraft to base. Squadron Leader Strachan is a model captain whose example has inspired all with whom he has flown."

A less formal photograph of F/O Baron (with the curly hair) and F/Sgt H M Stewart nearest the camera (PL-22559) and their graves at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery.

Howard Stewart was born on 19th April 1922 in North Battleford. He enlisted on 4th May 1942 in Regina and was working in farming in St.Walburg at the time.

Photographs of the graves of other members of the crew buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery.

Mauruce Martin was born on 18th April 1920 in Delisle. His parents had come to Canada from Elmira, Waterloo County, Ontario, via North Dakota to the Avondale district of Delisle in 1903. They would later retire to Saskatoon. Maurice was educated at Avondale school and enlisted in Saskatoon on 15th May 1941, at the time he was working in farming in Delisle.

Joseph Gilliard had trained as a motor mechanic in Dublin in the 1930's and had volunteered for the RAF when war broke out. He eventually graduated to aircrew and became a flight engineer. Killester was a village where a large number of returning Irish Soldiers were housed by the British Legion returning to Dublin after the First World War. Joe Gilliard's father had served in the trenches during World War One. With Ireland becoming an independent country in 1921 it was officially neutral during the Second World War but a large number of Irish people volunteered to serve in the British Canadian and US Forces. On the road that he lived nearly all the young men volunteered to join the British Forces, probably because all had relations who fought in the First World War. In all seven young men from the same road died during the War. Joe Gilliard had a brother who saw service in the War in an Air Sea Rescue role in the English Channel who returned home but died in the 1990's. My thanks to Mr Les Molloy, nephew of P/O Joseph Gilliard, for the photographs and information he has been willing to share with regard his uncle and for the help his mother has been able to give through him.

The funeral procession makes its way through Sutton on the Forest to the village church (Photo Mr L. Molloy).

Joseph Gilliard's coffin is carried into the church by fellow 432 Squadron members (photo Mr L. Molloy).

Nothing is yet known about the crew's flying prior to 432 Squadron arriving at East Moor in early September 1943. 432 Squadron began converting from Wellingtons to Lancasters with 1679 H.C.Flt in September and October 1943, F/Lt Strachan and crew left on 20th September 1943 and returned to 432 Squadron having done this conversion training on 15th October 1943. The unit then converted to Halifax MkV's in the New Year. The following is a list of their known operational flights.

26th November 1943, Strachan and crew flew Lancaster DS831 "N" to Berlin with F/Sgt Goodwin as 2nd pilot flying for operational experience. The larger of the two crew photographs shown above was taken prior to taking off on this night. The airman I credit as P/O Gilliard may be F/Sgt Goodwin.

30th November 1943, S/Ldr Strachan was appointed A-Flight Commander of 432 Squadron.

3rd December 1943, they flew Lancaster LL636 "B" to Leipzig.

16th December 1943 they flew to Berlin in Lancaster LL636 and they attacked an enemy aircraft at 20.24hrs, the rear gunner fired a burst into an aircraft which broke into three peices and was not seen again. The weather on this night was very bad on the return and a number of aircraft crashed or force landed away from their Yorkshire bases).

14th January 1944 they flew Lancaster LL636 to Brunswick but on arriving over the target they were attacked and damaged by a Me109 and later another enemy aircraft. The rear gunner returned fire and they escaped after S/Ldr Strachan took evasive action. An Me109 and a "four engined gun ship" had badly shot up the aircraft and on returning to East Moor it was realised the undercarriage was damaged, the aircraft slewed off at 90 degrees. For his actions on this night William Strachan was awarded the DFC the citation is given in his brief bi-og above. As fate would have it this was only two weeks before his death, he got confirmation it was being awarded although it was not presented until December 1944 to his next of kin.

30th January 1944, in Lancaster DS757, to Berlin for 432 Squadron;s last Lancaster Op.

I visited the crash site with Mr Andrew Hunter in March 2008 after his ground work had been carried out in locating the crash site. A sizeable water-filled hole remains in the woodland where part of the aircraft exploded. A small number of peices of wreckage were found around this hole including a parachute harness buckle. There is evidence at this crater to suggest the site had been dug many years ago.

A parachute buckle.

A couple of part numbers, the lower one with the "57" prefix confirms the aircraft as being a Halifax, the "B" as being from a wing section.

Halifax LK761 was built to contract ACFT/891 by Fairey Aviation Ltd at Stockport and delivered directly to 432 Squadron at East Moor in early February 1944. It was destroyed in the incident almost certainly only days after delivery and Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was recorded.