On the night of 19th / 20th July 1942 this 78 Squadron undertook operational flights to bomb Vegesack's ship building yards, on the outskirts of Bremen. They were one aircraft short to make up their required number so were loaned a 76 Squadron Halifax and also a 76 Squadron crew to fly it. 78 Squadron and 76 Squadron were both based at Middleton St.George. All the aircraft took off from Middleton St.George at intervals around 23.30hrs. Out-bound Halifax W7670 suffered the failure of the TR1335 or "GEE" radio navigation equipment so the crew opted to jettison the bomb load safe in the North Sea, turn around and made for home. As they approached Middleton St.George an engine may have failed and then caught fire though I have not located an original source document stating that this actually happened. The aircraft was recorded in the squadron records as being seen to fly over their base at 3,000 feet but was seen to be flying erratically and steadily loosing height. Around this time the order to bale out was given by the pilot with five of the crew successfully carrying out his order, a number sustained minor injuries on landing. The pilot and flight engineer stayed with the aircraft to try and crash-land but at 01.45hrs, whilst attempting a landing, the aircraft crashed near Spittal Flat Farm, Yarm killing both men. Spittal Flat Farm and the land surrounding it was developed into a housing estate and a primary school. Using a sourced map reference, if reasonably accurate, the location of where the aircraft crashed would either be under the school field or where housing now exists just west of the school.
Pilot - WO1 Wesley Leonard Belous RCAF (R/61812), aged 23, of Stenen, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Darlington West Cemetery, Co.Durham.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Fred Hebron RAFVR (944060), aged 25. Buried Cowpen Cemetery, Blyth, Northumberland.
Second Pilot - P/O Merle William Atkinson RCAF (J/8359). Minor injuries.
Observer - P/O Wilfred George Michael Rothschild RAFVR (130193). Concussion.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Davey RAFVR (1180118). Uninjured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Jacobus Petrus Van Lelyveld RAFVR (778678). Leg injury.
Air Gunner - Sgt William Charles Bacon RAFVR (1375837). Broken rib.
It appears that the aircraft was not wanted by 78 Squadron at the end of June 1942. Was this down to a known fault with the aircraft that resulted in it being grounded for the two nights of 22nd/23rd and 25th/26th June before being transferred out to 76 Squadron, and if so did the fault re-appear when it crashed fatally at Yarm? The aircraft was struck off charge on 25th July 1942. One to do more research on in the future.
Wesley Belous and his gravestone in Darlington Cemetery. In March 2009 whilst researching Wesley Belous it became apparent that the online records shown on the CWGC database show
his rank as WO1, where as his rank on the headstone is F/Sgt. I contacted the CWGC to make them aware of this and his headstone is to be corrected to show his correct rank of WO1.
He was the son of Alexander Nikita and Nadazda M. (Shostal) Belous who travelled from Ukraine to Canada shortly before their marriage in 1903. He was born on 28th November 1918 in
Stenen, Saskatchewan and was working in farming with his family before enlisting at Regina on 19th July 1940. He had undertaken a flying couse at the Regina Flying Club in 1936 and
only wanted to enlist to be a pilot. He gained his Wings in Canada on 27th February 1941 and was posted to the UK. On arrival in the UK he trained at 10 OTU from 22nd April 1941
to 28th July 1941 when he was posted to 58 Squadron. This posting must have been only on the paperwork as on the same date he was posted to 35 Squadron, he probably arrived at Linton
on Ouse expecting to be joining 58 Squadron but ended up joining 35 Squadron at the same place. On 21st August 1941 he was posted to 58 Squadron, he was admitted to Catterick Military
Hospital on 7th October 1941 until 19th October 1941 for reasons unknown. On 9th November 1941 he was posted to 76 Squadron and in December 1941 he underwent attachments for two
training courses; one at Leconfield and another at 28 Conversion Flight at Marston Moor. He was posted back to 76 Squadron from these attachments before the New Year. Belous Island
in his Saskatchewan is named in his honour.
Halifax W7670 was built to contract B73328/40 by Handley Page at Radlett and was awaiting collection on 15th April 1942. It was taken on charge by 78 Squadron at Croft on 26th April 1942. As a result of minor battle damage on the night of 16th / 17th June 1942 minor Cat.A/FB damage resulted and it was quickly repaired on site. On the evening of 22nd/23rd June 1942 and then on 25th/26th June 1942 it was to be used operationally but the 78 Squadron ORB lists it simply as a non-starter on both dates. Whatever the cause of the non-starting it was fixed a few days later and used operationally on the evening of 27th June 1942 and on 29th June 1942. The aircraft was then transferred to 76 Squadron at Middleton St.George (but possibly not on 20th June 1942 as stated on the AM Form 78 as it was still listed in the 78 Squadron ORB as being used by them after that date). On transfer to 76 Squadron it was coded "MP-B" but it's life was short-lived. The aircraft may have been taken on charge by 76 Squadron on 20th June 1942 but then loaned back to 78 Squadron. This was certainly the case on 20th July 1942. On this date it sustained Cat.E/FB damage as a result of a crash near Yarm.
Jacobus Peter (or Jacobus Petrus) van Lelyveld was the son of Jacobus Petrus and Emma van Lelyveld. He was born in 1921 in Umtali, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia). The family lived in
Rusape but the colonial spelling was Rusapi. He attended Umtali Boys High School between 1928 and 1937. I thank his family for contacting me in May 2011. Sgt van Lelyveld and P/O Merle Atkinson were killed on 1st October 1942 flying in Halifax W7812 on Ops to Flensbug, Germany. The aircraft was hit by flak over the target area and crashed with the loss of the whole seven crew who were initially buried in Flensburg but are now buried in Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Bacon was killed flying in Halifax V9992 on 18th August 1942 when it crashed near Thirsk, North Yorkshire while the crew were undertaking a training flight. He was twenty eight
years old and is buried in the City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, Essex. This incident is recorded on its own webpage on this website.
Sgt Jack Davey was killed on 20th December 1942. He is now buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany and was twenty two years old. He came from Withycomble, near Exmouth, Devon. He was flying in Halifax DT511 on Ops to Duisburg when the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter.
Wilfred Rothschild (or Rothchild; there were two ways his name was spelt in the London Gazette) was originally in the Army. Lt Rothschild relinquished his commission in the Manchester Regiment on appointment to a commission in the RAFVR on 14th February 1942 (130193). His time in the RAFVR appears to have been only for a short period as he appears as serving with The Royal Sussex Regiment and made a 2nd Lt on 2nd April 1943. He then transferred to the Army Air Corps and was appointed to the rank of War Sub Lt from Royal Sussex Regiment on 21st August 1943. He survived the War.