Whitley Z9289 at Pogmoor, Barnsley.
On 6th January 1942 this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Dalton airfield at 04.24hrs for an operational flight to attack Cherburg docks and was one of four from this squadron to fly the operational order on this night but one did not take off because of engine trouble on the ground at Dalton. Unfortunately the crew of Whitley Z9289 were unable to locate the target area because of thick cloud so did not release their bombs, while over the French target the starboard engine began to give the crew trouble so they made for home. On their flight up England the engine over-revved uncontrollably so it was shut down. The aircraft began losing height flying on just one engine and believing they could be over high ground the crew jettisoned the bomb load, this turned out to be over an area around twelve miles south-west of Sheffield. The aircraft continued to loose height so the pilot opted to try to re-start the failed engine, this resulted in it catching fire. The pilot then ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft over the Barnsley area but he remained at the controls to try and land the aircraft so that it would not crash amongst housing. With the engine on fire the aircraft crashed into a former quarry off Creswell Street, Pogmoor near Barnsley at 10.10hrs. The former quarry was being used as a tip for discarding coal ash at the time and the aircraft crashed into the ash. In addition to the pilot being killed, the parachute of one of the crew failed to deploy properly as he left it too late to make the jump and he too lost his life when the parachute caught in the chimney of a cottage next to a refuse incinerator. Three others survived and they landed nearby.
A memorial to the crew killed in this incident was attached and dedicated on a house in Creswell Street near the crash site in 1986, exactly forty-four years to the day after the crash. It was funded through efforts of Barnsley R.A.F.A, Pogmoor Royal British Legion and public donation, the main research for the memorial was done by Mr Andrew Totty. In 2012 a memorial garden was planted on the landscaped ground under which the aircraft crashed and a board explaining the events of the night was erected.
Whitley Z9289 was built to contract 106982/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 22nd October 1941. 102 Squadron lost a large number of aircraft in early November 1941 so aircraft this was supplied as a replacement for losses sustained by them. In was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Dalton in November 1941. As a result of the crash on 6th January 1942 Cat.E2/FB was the damage assessment and it was written off.
Pilot - Sgt Alexander Hollingworth RAAF (404246), aged 22, of Bowen Hills, Brisbane, Queensland. Buried Rose Hill Cemetery, Doncaster, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Alexander Gibson Buchanan RCAF (R/58102), aged 23, of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Rose Hill Cemetery, Doncaster, Yorkshire.
Second Pilot - Sgt John Toker Clough Hazledine RAFVR (903565). Uninjured.
Observer - Sgt Ed A Brain RCAF (R/67639). Uninjured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Leonard Jackson RAFVR (938013). Slightly injured, ankle injury.
Alexander Hollingworth was born in Brisbane, Australia in January 1919, he for RAAF service enlisted there. The flight in which he died was his first as an operational captain.
Alexander Buchanan was born on 25th October 1918 in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and was the son of Dugald and Marjorie (nee Gibson) Buchanan who moved to North
Battleford from Glasgow, Scotland before their son's birth. Alexander was working as a miner in Bralorne, British Columbia when he enlisted into the RCAF in Vancouver
on 19th June 1940. After training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 20th January 1941 after first undertaking wireless operator training. He arrived in the UK in March 1941 and trained at 12 O.T.U., 1 S.S. and 19 O.T.U. before being posted to 102 Squadron on 24th July 1941. His older brother F/Lt David Buchanan RCAF (J/11854) was a flight engineer in Ferry Command and was reported as missing on 27th March 1945 when his Liberator crashed into the sea between the UK and the Azores. The Buchanan Island, in Mynarski Lake, Saskatchewan is named in their honour.
Sgt Leonard Jackson was killed on 24th September 1942 with 102 Squadron, he had gone through their conversion to Halifaxes. On this date he was flying in Halifax DT517 on Ops to Flensburg. He is buried Kiel War Cemetery, Germany and was twenty six years old.
Sgt Brain's full identity is not yet known but he survived the War.
John Hazledine was born in Chelsea, London in 1920. He was killed only weeks after this incident at Pogmoor when, on 26th January 1942, he was flying as second pilot in Whitley Z9283 when it was lost without trace on Ops to Emden. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. This incident would turn out to be the last Whitley to be lost by 102 Squadron, they converted to using Halifax's in the months that followed. CWGC list no personal information for him.