On the night of 11th / 12th August 1942 the trainee crew flying this No.24 Operational Training Unit aircraft took off from Honeybourne a night-navigation exercise. While over Yorkshire the Whitley lost power in it's port engine which then caught fire and its crew were trying to find somewhere to land the aircraft. Yorkshire had a series of dummy airfields created to confuse attacking Luftwaffe aircraft and attempt to get them to drop their bombs on the dummy airfields rather than the slightly camouflaged real airfields. At night these dummy airfields were very effective with their dummy flare paths in confusing not only German aircraft but also crews of some Allied aircraft. The crew of this Whitley spotted the flarepath at the dummy site at Bugthorpe on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds as they went in for a landing it was realised at the last moment that the field was not a real airfield, the pilot attempted to climb away using the one good engine at full power but, at 02.00hrs, the aircraft crashed onto higher ground at Megdale near Kirby Underdale, to the north of Pocklington. Sadly one of the five crew died as a result of the crash and the remaining crew were all treated in hospital for their injuries.
Whitley Z9470 was built to contract B.106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection in February 1942. After a period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 24 O.T.U. at Honeybourne on an unknown date. As a result of the crash near Kirby Underdale on 12th August 1942 Cat.E2/FA was recorded and the aircraft was written off.
Observer - Sgt William Patrick James RCAF (R/95238), aged 24, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Pilot - Sgt James Alexander McIntosh RNZAF (NZ.411915). Injured.
Observer - Sgt Robert Eugene Wagner RCAF (R/96364). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert Francis Maughan RCAF (R/106632). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick Alfred James Perry RAFVR (1427832). Injured.
Sgt James' grave at Barmby Moor Churchyard. He was born on 6th October 1917 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and was the son of Eric Wallwyn McDonald and Ellen Muriel Bertram James (nee Armside). He had just graduated from the University of Manitoba gaining a B.A. degree and started work as a teacher when he enlisted for RCAF service in Winnipeg on 25th February 1941. After training in Canada he was awarded his Air Observer's badge on 14th February 1942 and was posted overseas soon afterwards. On arrival in the UK he was posted to 24 OTU at Honeybourne on 16th June 1942.
James McIntosh recovered from his injuries and after receiving a commission was posted to 75 Squadron. He was killed on 30th November 1944 on an operational flight to bomb Osterfield flying Lancaster NF980. He is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany and was twenty six years old.
Robert Wagner was killed with 426 Squadron on 14th May 1943 when Wellington HE243 failed to return from Ops to Bochum. He has no known grave
Herbert Maughan was killed with 51 Squadron on 28th August 1943 when Halifax HR869 failed to retirn from Ops to Nuremburg. He is buried at Durnbach War Cemetery.