Halifax DT750 near Kirby Wiske.
On the evening of 14th February 1943 the crew of this 408 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight and took off at 18.20hrs. Cologne was the target. During the approach to land back at Leeming
on their return the normal routine was carried out; the undercarriage had already been lowered and the flaps raised to slow the aircraft but while the aircraft was flying at around 300 feet the port outer engine
caught fire. The pilot operated the extinguishers but this had no effect, he raised the flaps and undercarriage and also applied full power to the other engines to try and climb but the port inner engine then lost
power and the aircraft initially swung to port. He brought the aircraft under some degree of control. It seems likely that the rear gunner thought the aircraft was going to crash as he had baled out of the aircraft
before the aircraft begun to climb but sadly he was too low for his parachute to work and was killed when he struck the ground. The pilot then climbed the aircraft to between 700 and 900 feet and ordered the crew
to bale out, all left on board complied and survived although two made heavy landings. He was then unable to trim the aircraft so using only the two starboard engines he opted to force land the aircraft in a field
but the port wingtip struck a tree just before touching down which tore the burning port outer engine from the aircraft. The aircraft crash landed in a field near Kirby Wiske at 23.57hrs and was badly damaged. The
wrecked aircraft did not catch fire and the rest of the crew survived though two were slightly injured. The wireless operator broke his right ankle while the bomb aimer was also slightly injured. The pilot was
later awarded the DFC and the citation referred to his actions on this night.
It was later stated that the port outer engine fire would not go out after the extinguisher was used because the propeller was not feathered prior to operating the extinguisher. An examination of the port outer engine revealed a severe coolant leak caused the engine to overheat and the oil catch fire. It was also believed that the rear gunner had baled out on his own accord as his body was found some distance from where the other members of the crew landed and had they all left the aircraft at around the same time it would be right to conclude all would land in roughly the same immediate area. The port outer engine was destroyed by fire but the other three engines were only deemed Cat.B damaged and were taken away to be stripped for repair.
Halifax DT750 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge shortly after completion by 408 Squadron at Leeming on 29th January 1943. It undertook operational flights on the nights of 6th/7th February 1943, 7th/8th February 1943 and 13th/14th February 1943. As a result of the damage sustained on 14th February 1943 Cat.E2/FB was the damage assessment and it was written off. It was struck off charge on 15th February 1943.
Air Gunner - F/O James Courtland Parker RCAF (J/11842), aged 21. Buried Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Pilot - F/Lt Robert Henry George Boosey RAFVR (110552),
Flight Engineer - Sgt Douglas Carter Horner RCAF (R/66172),
Navigator - P/O Peter Edward Mitchell RAFVR (135429).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Max Samuels RCAF (R/72931). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Peter Reginald Quance RAAF (411378). Injured.
Air Gunner - P/O Deryck Worthy Trevor Giblin RAAF (403405).
James Parker was born on 13th November 1920 in Portland, Oregon, USA and was the son of Edward Hunter and Gertrude (nee Carr) Parker. As a young man he lived in Oakland, California and worked for the Southern
Pacific Railroad company and the United States S/S Company. He enlisted for RCAF service in Vancouver on 18th September 1941 and after training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge and also a
commission on 25th May 1942. He arrived in the UK in July 1942 and after training at No.7 A.G.S. was posted to 408 Squadron but the date is missing from his publically available service records. While in the
UK he met and married Sophia Davison Hardy, of Hebburn, Co.Durham in Bedale, Yorkshire on 21st January 1943 and I speculate that she was a WAAF at Leeming at the time. At the time of his death he had flown five operational flights with 408 Squadron. His brother William Hunter Parker served in the USAAF.
On the night of 19th / 20th June 1943 the then F/Lt Samuels (pictured above), P/O Horner and F/O Quance were flying together in Halifax JD107 on Ops to Le Creusot, the aircraft was shot down by flak over
France and they were killed. They are buried in Bretteville Sur Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France. Max Samuels was born on 18th May 1919 at New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, he was twenty four years old. F/O Quance was twenty two years old. P/O Horner was thirty two and was married to Joan Chapman in Croyden, Surrey in June 1942.
Peter Quance was born on 5th May 1921. He enlisted into the RAAF on 28th April 1941 in Sydney and on arrival in the UK he trained at 14 OTU from April 1942 until posting to 408 Squadron in July 1942. He received his commission on 6th December 1942 to the rank of P/O. He had been the 1st West Ryde Scoutmaster back in Australia.
Deryck Giblin was born in Sydney in 14th March 1922 and was living there when he enlisted into the RAAF July 1940. While training at 14 OTU he survived the accident to Hampden P1351 near Saltby airfield on 5th May 1942 but sustained injuries. He completed his training and was posted to 408 Squadron. He receieved his commission on 6th December 1942 and was promote to F/O on 6th June 1943. For service with 408 Squadron he was awarded the DFC he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 10th September 1943. The citation reads.. "...since June 1942 has flown on operations against some of most heavily defended targets in Germany. Has always shown outstanding keenness for operational flying and has fine record of achievement. Cheerfulness, determination and fine fighting spirit have done much to maintain high standard of morale attained by squadron." He was later posted to 405 PFF Squadron and rose to become Signals Leader and was promoted to F/Lt on 12th June 1944. In total he completed some fifty three operational flights. He returned to Australia after the war and died in Turramurra, Sydney in September 2012.
Peter Mitchell was born in Glasgow in 1913 and joined the RAFVR in 1940. He received a commisison to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 26th October 1942. He was awarded the DFC for service with 408 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th April 1943, the citation reads.. "Pilot Officer Mitchell is a navigator of high merit. He has taken part in 23 sorties, including a number of attacks on heavily defended targets in the Ruhr and Northern France. One night in March 1943, he navigated an aircraft which attacked Berlin. His great skill contributed materially to the success achieved. Pilot Officer Mitchell has displayed great determination and cheerfulness in arduous and adverse circumstances." On 26th April 1943 he was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) and later posted to 109 Squadron. On 5th April 1944 he was flying a Mosquito on Ops to Krefeld with one engine unserviceable, his pilot lost control of the aircraft and he baled out, the pilot regained control after he left the aircraft and returned to the UK. Sadly he drowned but his body was picked up the following day by a Royal Navy warship. He is buried in Eastwood
Old and New Cemetery, Glasgow and was thirty one years old. Lynda Smith, Rob Davis and Neil Coburn's research into 109 Squadron was used in compiling this last paragraph.
Robert Boosey was born in Faversham, Kent in 1920 and enlisted into the RAF in 1940. He received a commission on 1st November 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He joined 408 Squadron in June 1942 and was later promted to F/O on probation (emergency) on 1st October 1942. For service with 408 Squadron, as Acting F/Lt, he was awarded the DFC, the citation for which reads.."While serving as an operational pilot, F/Lt Boosey has displayed courage and coolness of a very high order. He has participated in sorties against such targets as Bremen, Dusseldorf, Kassel, Lorient, and in numerous mine-laying missions. He has on several occasions brought back excellent photographs of the aiming point. In February 1943, when about to land, after an attack on Cologne, his port outer engine caught fire and the port inner engine stopped when the aircraft was at a height of about 500 feet. F/Lt Boosey, with great skill and coolness, kept the aircraft under control and climbed to 900 feet, where the crew baled out safely. With complete disregard of his personal safety, the pilot then made a successful crash-landing." He was later posted to No.6 Group RCAF HQ and as S/Ldr was Mentioned in Despatches for his work here, Gazetted on 8th June 1944.
