Halifax BB208 at Topcliffe airfield.
On 9th July 1943 this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was in the process of taking off from Topcliffe airfield at 16.50hrs so those on board could test the aircraft at altitude. Unfortunately no-one noticed that the aileron locks had been left in the place before they entered the aircraft so as it picked up speed it would not leave the ground, it careered off the runway and into the fields near East Lodge Farm and the wreckage caught fire. Five of the seven crew sustained injuries and the aircraft was badly damaged. A sourced police report gives there being a crew of seven, four sustained serious injuries, one was slightly injured and two escaped injury. Those flying the Halifax BB208 were converting aircrew but all appear to have been posted their separate ways later in 1943.
Pilot - F/O F A Pope RCAF (J/21950). Injured.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Edward Fahy RAFVR (1760096). Injured.
Navigator - P/O Kenneth George House RCAF (J/14669). Injured.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Alan Howard Durnin RCAF (R/116590). Seriously injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Desmond Clarke RAFVR (1162204). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Schmidt. Uninjured.
Air Gunner - Sgt McLean. Uninjured.
Halifax BB208 was built to contract B.124357/40 by the London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden. It was initially taken on charge by 158 Squadron at East Moor on 12th July 1942 and carried out ten operational flights with them, coded "-V" for the first two and then "-P" for the final eight. 158 Squadron moved to Rufforth on 6th November 1942. On 7th December 1942 this aircraft was transferred to 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Leeming. It sustained repairable damage at Leeming on 19th February 1943, possibly initially assessed as being Cat.B/FA but this was downgraded to Cat.Ac/FA damage. It was repaired on site at Leeming and returned to 1659 H.C.U. on 22nd April 1943. On 14th March 1943 1659 H.C.U. moved to Topcliffe and BB208 followed them there once repaired. On 9th July 1943 it crashed at Topcliffe injuring many of the then crew. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 23rd July 1943.
Edward Fahy received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on (172210). He completed his training and was posted to 419 Squadron. On 17th June 1944 he was flying Ops to
He was twenty one years old and is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Holland.
Alan Durnin was born on 14th November 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of Edward Howard and Margaret Marcia (nee Francis) Durnin. Both his parents died when he was a boy and he was brought up by Fanny Durnin (probably his father's sister) in Ontario. After leaving school Alan worked in farming in Ontario and also began training as a teacher. He initially enlisted into the RCAF for ground duties, specifically as an aero engine mechanic, on 10th July 1941 in London, Ontario. In July 1942 he remustered as aircrew and underwent bomb aimer training and was awarded his Air Bomber's Badge on 20th November 1942. He then left for service in the UK and trained at 22 OTU and 1659 HCU (where he arrived on 22nd June 1943). He sustained serious injuries in July 1943 when BB208 crashed at Topcliffe and when he recovered returned to 1659 HCU briefly but then returned to 22 OTU. He appears to have had to return to OTU training and to re-crew. On 3rd January 1944 he was then posted to 1666 HCU at Wombleton and then to 408 Squadron on 10th May 1944 having received a commission while at Wombleton on 17th March 1944. He was killed on 29th July 1944 flying an operational flight to Hamburg in Halifax LL687, he was twenty two years old and is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany. His brother P/O Graham William Durnin RCAF (J/89050) was killed on 6th June 1944 while serving with 426 Squadron. He is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.
F/Sgt Clarke was later posted to 405 Squadron. He was killed on 3rd January 1944 on Ops to Berlin in Lancaster ND330 (which was a loaned aircraft from 83 Squadron). He was twenty three years old and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Schmidt may have been Sgt Kenneth Lloyd Schmidt RCAF who was killed flying with 426 Squadron on 9th May 1944 flying Ops to Haine-St-Pierre in Halifax MZ598. Both men must have been air gunners and this is my only link with both men and incidents so far. P/O Kenneth Schmidt was twenty three years old and from Kitchener, Ontario.
Kenneth House was born in July 1921 in Waterloo, Ontario and enlisted for RCAF duty in Toronto in March 1941. He begun his RCAF service with a desk job but later re-mustered as aircrew and trained as a navigator. He was awarded the DFC while serving with 405 Squadron, Gazetted on 23rd March 1945 but his operational flying was spread out over a long period time and with different units. Hugh Halliday's RCAF awards research has located information that he flew his first operational flight on 9th June 43 but flew his next in December 1943. This would suggest that he sustained pretty serious injuries while converting to fly Halifaxes at 1659 HCU at Topcliffe in this incident in July 1943. By June 1944 he had flown twenty five operational flights with 425 Squadron when he and his then crew was switched to Pathfinder duties with 405 Squadron and in all he completed 58 operational flights. He also served as Intelligence Officer with 426 and 408 Squadrons before leaving the RCAF in 1946.