On 18th December 1941 the crew of this aircraft were to undertake a training flight as part of their training with No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit based at Thornaby. After leaving the ground at 20.10hrs the aircraft was seen to climb more steeply than would have been normal. It then stalled and from about 800 feet it dived into the ground, unfortunately crashing onto Quarry Farm at Ingleby Barwick. The five airmen in the aircraft were killed. Unfortunately a family of four civilians in the house also were killed while two further children escaped with injuries. The two parents were eating supper in their dining room while two younger sons were asleep upstairs. Two further and older sons were in a back bedroom and escaped the obvious destruction with minor injuries. Two farm employees and a maid in the farm at the time also escaped. The pilot's fiancee is recorded elsewhere as having offered to adopt the surviving children but this didn't happen, both were brought up by family locally. Quarry Farm was built over with housing in more modern years.
Hudson V9032 was built by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, at Burbank, California and was purchased by the British Purchasing Commission arriving by sea at Liverpool Docks in August 1941. After assembly and testing by the Lockheed Assembly Division (UK) Ltd. at Speke it was flown to 20 MU on 29th July 1941. It was taken on charge by No.6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit at Thornaby on 17th August 1941. As a result of the accident near Ingleby Barwick on 18th December 1941 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 23rd December 1941. The aircraft was photographed in formation flight just three days before this accident and the photographs are now available to buy from the RAF Museum website.
Pilot - F/Sgt Albert George Graves RAF (536190), aged 23. Buried Thornaby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Pilot - Sgt Richard Henry Dampier Palmer RAFVR (778436), aged 27. Buried Enfield Cemetery, Middlesex.
Observer - P/O Michael Bolleurs Van Heerden RAFVR (110124), aged 23. Buried Thornaby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie Hogg RAFVR (1325760), aged 27. Buried Thornaby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Harry William George Hewitt RAFVR (1531619), aged 21. Buried Teddington Cemetery, Middlesex.
Civilian - Mr James Raymond Garbutt, aged 39, Of Quarry Farm, Ingleby Barwick. Buried Stainton-in-Cleveland Churchyard.
Civilian - Mrs Violet Mary Garbutt, aged 41, Of Quarry Farm, Ingleby Barwick. Buried Stainton-in-Cleveland Churchyard.
Civilian - Master Alick Raymond Garbutt, aged 8, Of Quarry Farm, Ingleby Barwick. Buried Stainton-in-Cleveland Churchyard.
Civilian - Master Charles Richard Garbutt, aged 6, Of Quarry Farm, Ingleby Barwick. Buried Stainton-in-Cleveland Churchyard.
Civilian - Master James Arthur Garbutt, aged 9. Survived.
Civilian - Master John Hawthorne Garbutt, aged 11. Survived.
Three civilian farm employees - Names unknown. Survived.
Three of the airmen were buried at Thornaby on Tees cemetery.
Michael Van Heerden the son of Willem Jacobus and Matilda Letitia (nee Weber) van Heerden of Pretoria, South Africa. He received a commission in the RAF on 25th October 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency).
Albert Graves was born in Canterbury on 9th August 1918. He had been employed as a carpenter by the Tritton family on their Godmersham estate in Kent prior to enlisting for RAF service.
Richard Palmer was born in Newcastle, South Africa on 17th July 1914. He had attended King Edward VII School in Johannesburg.