Halifax L9609 near Sowerby, Thirsk.
During the early hours of 17th August 1942 this 1652 Conversion Unit aircraft was flown by an instructor to check the drift conditions that were effecting Dalton airfield and was being made prior to the instructor flying a dual training night flying exercise with a trainee pilot. The aircraft took off from Dalton airfield and was flown on a circuit of the airfield. Several minutes after taking off and just after 02.00hrs it was making a routine approach to land there with the flaps extended and the undercarriage lowered though it appeared that the instructor had forgot to set the propellers to be in fine pitch prior to landing. Just above the ground the instructor decided not to land and to fly an overshoot. The aircraft cleared the airfield and was flying at around 200 feet above the ground when it stalled and nose dived into the ground near Sowerby. One of the crew was killed in the crash, two died soon after at Northallerton's Friarage Hospital and two others survived. An investigation concluded that the instructor had made several errors that resulted in the crash occurring. Normally, when climbing away, the Halifax throttle controls would be pushed forward, held by the pilot's hand and then locked by the second pilot. The undercarriage legs would then be raised. What was thought must have occurred was that when he pushed the throttles forward he held them forward but they were not then locked, so that when he then let go to reach down to move the undercarriage lever, the vibrations from the engines affected the throttle levers so they slipped back and the engine power was reduced. With the flaps being extended and the undercarriage still partly extended this caused addition drag on the aircraft resulting in a stall.
Instructor Pilot - F/O John Hugh Trethewy RAFVR (113359), aged 23. Died of injuries. Buried Daventry Churchyard, Northamptonshire.
Trainee Pilot - F/O Basil Douglas Gay Gibson MiD RAFVR (68175), aged 32. Died of injuries. Buried Wimbledon Churchyard, Surrey.
Flight Engineer - Sgt William Alfred Lawson RAF(AAF) (804306), aged 22. Killed. Buried Little Stanmore Churchyard, Middlesex.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Michael Kerslake Brett RAFVR (118090). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Sidney George Kitts RAFVR (1294534). Injured.
John Trethewy received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 5th August 1941 and rose to F/O (war subs) on 12th August 1942.
He was probably an instructor with the training unit when he died as he had flown all three of the Thousand Bomber raids with this training unit and almost all of their instructors did this. I thank Neil Smith for kindly supplying this photograph for inclusion.
Michael Brett was born on 25th December 1920. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) 14th March 1942. Having sustained injuries in the crash of Halifax L9609 at Sowerby on 17th August 1942 he recovered, completed his training and was posted to 158 Squadron. On 29th January 1943 he was flying on Ops to Lorient in Halifax DT681 when the aircraft crashed in France killing him. He was twenty two years old and is buried at Plougasnou Communal Cemetery, France. The photograph of him shown here was sourced by historian Brian Lunn.
In June 2007 Sowerby resident and historian Ken Reast showed me where aircraft crashed, he located the crash site some months previously through field walking with permission from the landowner. The aircraft clipped a tree about half a mile from Sowerby village near Willow Grange (and not far from the modern A168 road). A tree still stands to the left of the photograph (that could be the same one) and it crashed near the larger of the trees to the centre-right of the photograph.
Basil Gibson was born on 16th July 1910 at Woodlea. He received a commission on 29th May 1941 to P/O on probation and then rose to F/O (war subs) on 29th May 1942. The date of his Mention in Despatches is not yet known. I would welcome more information.
William Lawson was in the RAF's Auxillary Air Force before the outbreak of war and had been called up to regular service.
Sidney Kitts was born on 15th December 1910 at Hackney, Middlesex and enlisted for RAF service on 13th November 1940.
Halifax L9609 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 37 MU on 2nd September 1941. It was received by 37 MU at Burtonwood on 3rd October 1941 and was then taken on charge by 76 Squadron on 8th November 1941 at Middleton St.George. It completed just two operational flights before being transferred to 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 14th February 1942. As a result of the mishap on 24th February 1942 Cat.A/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site. It continued to be used by 1652 Conversion Unit until 17th August 1942 when it crashed near Thirsk and was destroyed. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 3rd August 1942.