Halifax L9622 near Northallerton.

On 15th January 1942 this 10 Squadron aircraft had taken off from Leeming at 18.12hrs for an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. The aircraft suffered engine trouble outbound and after jettisoning the bombs over the North Sea the crew made for home. The weather in Yorkshire was poor during the month with deep snow having laid over the county. Flying in poor visibility the aircraft crashed at 23.30hrs a mile north of Northallerton, only a few miles from base, and burst into flames. The crew had all sustained very serious injuries. The RAF's Form AM1180 is left blank so no proper details of the loss are yet known, I believe it is left blank as they were going to include the evidence from a Court of Inquiry which was delayed because the pilot's evidence would have been needed. As it probably turned out the pilot's memory of the crash did not recover enough for the Court of Inquiry to be held but the AM1180 was never updated.

Roger Cole's research locally and published in his book "Northallerton and District" draws upon the memories of J.F Sedgwick who lived locally to the accident. Mr Cole's book states that aircraft was not heard to crash but the huge fire that developed awoke three local farmers (Mr Godfrey Sedgwick, Mr Harold Swalwell and Mr John Walker) and along with two men on a passing lorry they went to the burning aircraft where they found one airman (almost certainly the pilot) sitting next to one of his crew who he would almost certainly have pulled clear himself. A further four of the crew were found and dragged clear. The seventh were found in the wreckage and was sadly dead and beyond help. The passing civilians loaded the six airmen onto the back of one of their lorries and drove to the Friarage Hosptital in Northallerton. So seriously injured were five of the six that they died before dawn. The only survivor was the pilot who recovered from his serious injuries and returned to operational flying.

Halifax L9622 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 10 Squadron on 23rd November 1941. It was then taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 28th November 1941. As a result of the damage on 15th January 1942 Cat.E2/FB damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge eight days later. Historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast located small fragments on the surface at the crash site in December 1997 with permission from the landowner, confirming the crash location.

Pilot - Sgt Murray Stanley Fuller Schneider RCAF (R/59677), of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Serious head injuries.

Second Pilot - Sgt Thomas Cowan RAFVR (1365284), aged 25. Of Glasgow. Buried Bedlay Cemetery, Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Herbert Kenneth Taylor RAF(Aux) (804258), aged 26. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.

Observer - P/O Michael Von Dadelzsen RNZAF (403615), aged 25, of Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Vincent Leslie Brice RCAF (J/15860), aged 21. Of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Calvert Bradley RAFVR (1058655), aged 21, Penwortham, Preston. Buried Penwortham Churchyard, Lancashire.

Air Gunner - F/Sgt Donald Savage RCAF (R/55599), aged 20, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.

Vincent Brice and his grave in Leeming Churchyard. Vincent was born on 2nd October 1920 in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of Stephen Leslie and Francis Hayward (nee Sargent) Brice. The family later moved to Chilliwack, British Columbia. As a young man he attended the Vancouver techincal School from 1935 to 1939. Vincent had twice tried to enlist into the RCAF in 1939 and was accepted both times although on the first attempt he was told there was no vacancy and the second attempt he could not be given wireless training. He then undertook a radio night school class at Vancouver Technical School from October 1939 to March 1940 and was then successful on his third attempt at enlisting for RCAF service on 18th June 1940 in Vancouver and trained as a wireless operator / air gunner. He was awarded his air gunner's badge on 20th January 1941 after training in Canada having previous undertaken wireless operator training. He left Canada for the UK soon after and on arrival in the UK he trained at 10 OTU and No.1 Signal School before posting to 10 Squadron on 30th August 1941. His brother F/Lt Francis Brice RCAF was killed when Lancaster DS688 crashed in France on 13th June 1944 while serving with 408 Squadron.

Donald Savage was born on 14th July 1921 at Belleville, Ontario, Canada and was the son of George V. and Euphamie (nee Finn) Savage. The family later moved to Montreal where he worked as a clerk for the Canadian National Railways after leaving school. He enlisted for RCAF service on 18th October 1940 at Quebec and trained as an air gunner, receiving his air gunner's flying badge on 12th April 1941. Once in the UK in June 1941 he trained at 10 OTU and was posted to 10 Squadron on 15th August 1941.

Herbert Taylor's grave at Leeming.

Michael Von Dadelszen was born on 21st April 1916 to Herman and Winifred von Dadelszen. He trained at 19 OTU before posting to 10 Squadron at Leeming in August 1941. The photograph of him shown here was found on "rcaffingal.blogspot.co.uk".

Thomas Cowan's grave in Bedlay Cemetery, uploaded to a webforum by "A.P.Anderson".

Murray Schneider was born in Oak River, Manitoba to Monague and Annie Schneider on 3rd March 1921. He enlisted into the RCAF in August 1940 and left Canada in May 1941 after initial training. After arriving in England he continued his training at 10 OTU before posting to 10 Squadron at Leeming in August 1941. He flew operationally with 10 Squadron before their conversion from Whitleys to Halifaxes and flew two operation flights in Halifaxes before crashing Halifax L9622 near Northallerton in January 1942. As a result of the crash of L9622 he received numerous injuries to his body and face and it is remarkable that he survived let alone returned to active service. He sustained a fractured skull, a broken wrist, numerous broken ribs, serious burns and cuts to the hands and face, a bullet in the shoulder and other injuries. He also lost his memory for some months. By mid-July 1942 he was out of hospital and back with 10 Squadron for non-flying duties awaiting a medical assessment. He was later treated at the East Grinstead specialist hospital. In October 1942 he was passed fit for non-operational flying and was posted to 1659 HCU as an instructor. While with 1659 HCU he overshot Halifax R9437 into the ditch at the end of Topcliffe's runway on 29th November 1942 and then force landed Halifax W1150 near Pickering in January 1943 without injury to himself or any of those on board. Only on 3rd April 1943 was he assessed as being fit for operational flying again. On 26th June 1943 he force landed Halifax V9984 near Brafferton after engine failure and was again uninjured. He was later posted back to operational flying and to 405 Squadron PFF, he completed at least ten operational flights before being lost on 9th October 1943 when 405 Squadron Lancaster JA980 was shot down by a night fighter on Ops to Hamburg. Five were killed and there were two who became PoW's. S/Ldr Schneider is buried in Hannover War Cemetery. Also on this aircraft was the flight engineer from 408 Squadron Halifax JD174, Sgt James Connelly, JD174 crashed on the North Yorkshire Moors in July 1943 near Hawnby. Both had been posted to 405 Squadron for Pathfinder duties.

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