Wellington W5435 at Minskip, Boroughbridge.
On the 3rd of September 1941 the crew of this aircraft had left Driffield for Ops to Brest, details as to why the aircraft was in the Dishforth area at 22.25hrs are not known but it is probable
that they had returned early from Ops and had been diverted to land at Dishforth because of poor visibilty. The aircraft crashed into trees near Minskip, to the south-west of Boroughbridge at the
given time before they could land. The crew were all taken to hospital for treatment to their minor injuries.
Pilot - P/O Robert A A Doherty RAFVR (102594), of Knock, Co.Down. Injured.
P/O P Dawson,
Sgt Boyce,
Sgt Williams,
WOp - Sgt William J Hegan RCAF (R/60855), injured.
Sgt Williams
P/O Doherty was awarded the DFC with 104 Squadron (Gazetted on 24th October 1941). He rose through
the ranks and was later posted to 608 Squadron. On 23rd February 1945 as F/Lt he
was killed and is commemerated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was 27 years old.
Sgt Hegan would later recover from his injuries and be involved in a second accident in Yorkshire on 16th January 1942.
Flying in Wellington W5493 with 104 Squadron the aircraft crashed onto the North Yorkshire Moors sadly killing a
number of the crew. He was seriously injured and returned to Canada later in 1942. This second accident is detailed on this
website here .