Wellington Z8536 near Yapham.
On the night of 26th / 27th of February 1942 the crew of this 158 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Kiel. 158 Squadron were using Pocklington airfield on detachment while building work was being carried out at their home airfield of Driffield. This aircraft left Pocklington at 18.56hrs but the port engine caught fire as soon as it became airborne. The aircraft failed to gain height and the crew then probably realised they would probably need to try and force land the aircraft, the bomb load was jettisoned at low level but the ensuing explosion caught the aircraft causing the pilot to lose control. The Wellington then crashed close to Yapham village at 19.00hrs and sadly the crew of six sadly died in the accident. It would be as late as the 1970s when the final bomb dropped by the aircraft was finally found and made safe.
Wellington Z8536 was built to contract B71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was received by 10 MU on 4th January 1942. It was passed to SLG23 on 8th January 1942 and was then returned to 10 MU on 26th January 1942. The aircraft was taken on charge by 158 Squadron on 12th February 1942. As a result of this accident near Yapham on 26th February 1942 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was recorded on the paperwork after assessment and it was written off.
Pilot - F/Sgt Reginald Francis Robb RCAF (R/72335), aged 25, of Frankford, Ontario, Canada. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Second Pilot - F/Sgt Charles Hackney RCAF (R/72081), aged 20, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Navigator - WO2 Thomas Herbert Bennett RCAF (R/58098), aged 21, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Shepshed Cemetery, Leicestershire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Charles Harold Latshaw Brown RCAF (J/64344), aged 30, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Keith Winterton RAFVR (933433), aged 30. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Norman Anthony Morgan RAFVR (742728), aged 22. Buried Gloucester Old Cemetery, Gloucestershire.
The graves of three of the crew sadly killed in this incident at Yapham buried locally at Barmby Moor. Keith Winterton was born on 17th June 1911 at Leicester. Norman Morgan was born on 23rd December 1919 at Gloucester.
Reginald Robb was born on 11th June 1916 at Dunnville, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Walter Tyrie and Elizabeth Grenville (nee Warner) Robb. His father was a county judge for the Dufferin area and his parents lived in Orangeville, Ontario. He later moved to Frankford, Ontario where he worked for the Bata Shoe Company of Canada. He enlisted for RCAF service on 20th September 1940 at Toronto and after training in Canada he was awarded his pilot's flying badge on 15th April 1941. He arrived in the UK in May 1941 and trained at 22 OTU (beginning 7th June 1941 / Course No.5) before posting to 405 Squadron on 22nd August 1941. The then appears to have been posted to 104 Squadron on 23rd August 1941 on one document in his service file though other documents do not list this. He was posted to 158 Squadron when it formed on 10th February 1942 (from part of 104 Squadron).
Charles Hackney was born on 2nd April 1921 in Toronto and was the son of Scottish parents John Taylor and Helen Hackney (nee Rollo). After attending school he studied buisness, economics and accoutancy but then started working as a chemist laboratory assistant on finishing his course in 1939. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 9th September 1940 and was awarded his Pilot's Wings after initial training in Canada on 28th May 1941. On arrival in the UK in July 1941 he was posted to train at 22 OTU and was then posted to 104 Squadron on 20th September 1941. On 1st February 1942 he was posted on attachment to 405 Squadron. He was part of the 104 Squadron contingent that formed 158 Squadron on 14th February 1942.
Thomas Bennett was born on 7th June 1920 in Abbotsford, British Columbia and was the son of Thomas and Kate Florence Bennett (nee Day). He initially tried to enlist into the RCAF in November 1939 but his application was not followed through so he enlisted again on 19th June 1940 in Vancouver. After basic training in Canada he was awarded his Air Observer's Badge on 2nd March 1941 On arrival in the UK he June 1941 he trained at 22 OTU and was posted to 104 Squadron on 21st August 1941. He was part of the 104 Squadron contingent that formed 158 Squadron on 14th February 1942. His father was born in Leicestershire and after Thomas' death his body was probably claimed and buried locally to where his father's wider family lived.
Charles Brown was born on 29th June 1911 at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Charles Rosendale and Irene (nee Latshaw) Brown. He attended Hoodless School and Delta College in his home town of Hamilton and after graduating from business college he was employed as a salesman with the Ontario Beauty Supply company. He enlisted into the RCAF in Regina on 24th June 1940 and after training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 18th January 1941 following earlier wireless operator training. He arrived in the UK shortly after and trained at 12 O.T.U., 1 S.S. 27 O.T.U. with posting to 104 Squadron on 14th July 1941. He rose to F/Sgt on 4th February 1942 and was posted to 158 Squadron when it formed ten days later.
