Wellington HE369 at Topcliffe airfield.
On 25th February 1943 this 424 Squadron aircraft crashed at 00.40hrs within Topcliffe airfield's boundary whilst coming in to land on return from an operational flight to attack Wilhelmshaven. Three of the crew were killed and the wreckage caught fire, three other members of the crew survived.
Wellington HE369 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in early October 1942. 46 M.U. received the aircraft on 6th October 1942 but the date it was taken on charge by 424 Squadron at Topcliffe is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78. The date of 13th February 1943 is given in the squadron records. As a result of the crash there on 25th February 1943 Cat.E2/FB Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was written off. It was struck off charge on 5th March 1943.
Pilot - F/Sgt James Banks RAFVR (1073681), aged 22, of Mossend. Buried New Stevenston RC Cemetery, Lanarkshire.
Bomb Aimer - P/O Robert Stephen Borden Worley RCAF (J/85180), aged 25, of Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. Buried Dishforth Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Alfred Albert Wiles RAFVR (1209651), aged 28, of Upper Norwood. Buried Streatham Park Cemetery, Surrey.
Navigator - Sgt J Harrison RCAF (R/102663). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt William Albert Sparrow RCAF (R/80605), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Air Gunner - Sgt Frank William Noel Trowbridge RAFVR (658650).
Robert Worley was born on 30th June 1917 at Haley Station, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Robert Harry and Clara Rebekah (nee Jeffrey) Worley. The family later moved to Pembroke, Ontario in 1933 and he later lived in Westboro, Ottawa from 1940 where he worked as a bank clerk for the Bank of Nova Scotia. He enlisted for RCAF service in Ottawa on 4th March 1941 and after training in Canada he was awarded his air observer's flying badge (after bomb aimer training) on 25th April 1942. He was posted to the UK in August 1942 and following training at 1 (O)AFU and 22 OTU he was posted to 424 Squadron on 10th February 1943. He appears to have received a commission after his death, back dated to 24th February 1943.
William Sparrow was born on 22nd July 1915, he was the son of William George and Sadie Louise Sparrow, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Both he and Sgt Trowbridge were soon posted to 432 Squadron after the accident at Topcliffe in February 1943. On the night of 24th / 25th June 1943 they were killed flying Ops to Wuppertal in Wellington HF572 when their aircraft failed to return and crashed in Holland. The whole of the crew were killed and are buried in Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery, Netherlands. Sgt Sparrow was twenty seven years old and Sgt Trowbrdge was thirty.