Halifax L9576 near Wetherby.
On 14th April 1942 this 1652 Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Marston Moor airfield with a mixed crew on board, there were four pilots, the regular wireless operator and flight engineer and then three ground crew. The aircraft was being flown with the two port engines shut down so that the pilots could practice maintaining height with just the starboard engines. The pilot would need to push the rudder over to one side to make it fly straight and during this is was believed that the pilot lost control. Early Halifaxes suffered with a problem with the rudders locking when pushed hard to a side, this effect was known as rudder over-balance and it was thought to have been a factor in this accident. The aircraft was seen descending in a spin and than crash near Sandbeck Lane, north east of Wetherby at 19.38hrs. Sadly all on board were killed in the crash. Investigations into this and other similar incidents found that once the rudders were locked to one side there was very little the pilot could do to save the aircraft, modifications were carried out in the later months and this design fault was overcome by creating a different shaped rudder.
Halifax L9576 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allocated to 8 MU at Little Rissington on 11th July 1941 but on testing and before delivery to the RAF it was found to be unserviceable and was returned to works for repair by S.A.S. (Service Aircraft Section) possibly at Rootes rather than to Handley Page. This repair appears to have taken some time to complete as it was only delivered as new to 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 1st April 1942. As a result of the crash near Wetherby on 14th April 1942 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment. It was written off and struck off charge on 20th April 1942.
Pilot (Instructor?) - F/O Frederick John Joshua RAFVR (87041), aged 29, of Gabalfa, Cardiff. Buried Penarth Cemetery, Glamorganshire, Wales.
Pilot - F/Sgt David Reid Cox RCAF (R/65319), aged 23, of Isaac's Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Pilot - Sgt Alfred Thomas Howell RAFVR (1380271), aged 22, of Acton Green, Middlesex. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Pilot - Sgt James Edward Gurney RAF (527385), aged 26, of Lidlington. Buried Lidlington Churchyard, Bedfordshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Ernest James Spencer RAFVR (903905), aged 36, of Rochester. Buried Rochester Cemetery, Kent.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Gilbert Marks RAFVR (1169564), aged 20, of Uplyme, Devon. Buried Monkton Wyld Churchyard, Dorset.
Passenger - AC1 Colin George Coltham Keighley RAFVR (1333962), aged 20, of Bexley. Buried Bexley Church Cemetery, Kent.
Passenger - AC1 Thomas Mahady RAFVR (1371443), aged ? Of ? Cremated Dundee, Angus, Scotland.
Passenger - AC2 Frederick Stanley Goodwin RAFVR (1499120), aged 19, of Liverpool. Buried Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool, Lancashire.
Frederick Joshua received a commission to P/O on probation on 19th October 1940 rising to F/O exactly a year later.
David Cox and his gravestone in Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. He was born on 3rd August 1918 in Isaac's Harbour, Nova Scotia and was the son of Harry Joseph and Lucette Emma (nee Reid) Cox. He enlisted for RCAF service in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17th August 1940 and after training in Canada he was awarded his Pilot's Wings on 3rd July 1941. He was posted to the UK soon after and trained at 10 O.T.U. before posting to 78 Squadron on 19th October 1941. On 18th December 1941 he survived the crash of Whitley Z9277 near Appletreewick, Yorkshire on return from an operational flight.
James Gurney, photograph kindly supplied by air historian Mr Brian Lunn.
Alfred Howell's grave at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery.
