During the evening of 13th October 1942 the crew of this aircraft were detailed to carry out a cross country training with as part of their training with No.15 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit. The unit was based at Leconfield but used Acaster Malbis and Kirmington airfields as satellite airfields. This aircraft took off from Kirmington at 19.30hrs and the route they were tasked with flying was to use turning points of East Retford and Spalding before returning to base (Kirmington) with the time in the air being estimated at around ninety minutes. During the flight radio contact with the aircraft was lost and owing to poor visibility the crew appear to have become lost. Fog appears to have formed across the north of England. It was later assumed that after taking off the crew probably misread the compass and flew on a reciprocal bearing because the aircraft picked up by direction finding ground controllers at Elsham Wolds airfield as being north east of their airfield. Kirmington and Elsham Wolds were neighbouring airfields. Where the aircraft then flew for the next two hours is unclear. At some stage it was picked up by ground controllers at Driffield airfield and was homed to Acaster Malbis airfield. At 21.10hrs the aircraft was attempting to land at Acaster Malbis in poor visibility but overshot the flarepath approach for landing. A short time later it then crashed around a mile north of the airfield. An investigation concluded that the instructor should not have been authorized for such a role as he did not have the experience and that the flight should not have been authorised given the poor weather report that was received prior to take off. Why many of the casualties from this night are buried at Brigg is not yet known.
Oxford BG666 was built to contract B.128581/40 by Airspeed Ltd. at Portsmouth and was awaiting collection in June 1942. On 10th July 1942 it was taken on charge by 15 (P)A.F.U. at Leconfield but was destroyed in the crash on 13th October 1942 with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded.
Instructor Pilot - F/O Angus Murray RAFVR (118885), aged 19. Buried Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire.
Trainee Pilot - Sgt Samuel Hampton McBryde RCAF (R/109887), aged 21, of Kingsville, Texas, USA. Initially buried at Brigg, now buried Falfurrias Burial Park, Texas, USA.
Trainee Pilot - Sgt John Denis Lennon RAFVR (1332083), aged 22. Buried Clacton Cemetery, Essex.
Wireless Operator - AC2 Harold Traverse RAFVR (1425232), aged 20. Buried Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire.
John Lennon was born on 19th August 1920 and enlisted for RAF service on 15th January 1920. I thank his nephew Peter Toomey for contacting me in October 2012 and for kindly supplying this photograph for inclusion here.
Harold Traverse was born on 17th August 1922 and enlisted for RAF service on 10th April 1941.
Angus Murray was born in Mindrum, Northumberland on 2nd November 1919. He was granted a commission P/O on probation (emergency) on 7th February 1942 and was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st October 1942. At the time of this accident he had flown a total of 365 hours but with only 38 hours being at night. His brother Dougal Douglas Murray had initially served in the Army (latterly in the Rifle Brigade) but transferred to the RAF and received his commission in 1942, he was later awarded the DFC for service with 26 Squadron in 1943.
Samuel McBryde was born on 17th February 1921 in Premont, Texas, USA and was the son of Robert Emmett and Laura Belle (nee Young) McBryde. The family lived in Kingsville, Texas. As a young man he worked as a newspaper agent as well as studying at the Texas College of Arts and Industries. He travelled to Windsor, Ontario, Canada and was staying in YMCA accommodation when he enlisted for RCAF service on 29th July 1941 in Windsor and after training in Canada he was awarded his pilot's flying badge on 3rd July 1942. He arrived in the UK on 8th August 1942 and was posted to 15 (P)AFU on 29th August 1942. He was initially buried at Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire but has since been taken back to the USA for re-burial in Falfurrias Burial Park, Texas.