On 10th August 1943 this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Pocklington at 21.26hrs for an operational flight to bomb Nuremberg. Outbound the aircraft developed a problem with the port outer engine so the crew opted to return to base and left the main bomber stream. On approach to land at Pocklington at 23.35hrs the aircraft struck a house (believed to have been Red House, on the Yapham side of the town) and crashed shortly after. Sadly two were killed in the crash and another airman later died of his injuries in Fulford Military Hospital, York.
Pilot - F/Sgt Alan Everard Storey RAFVR (1145662), aged 20. Buried Prestbury Churchyard, Cheshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Frederick Rosslyn Newman RAFVR (1266270), aged 29. Buried Worting Churchyard, Hampshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Reginald Hubert Bowers RAFVR (1402265), aged 20. Died of injuries. Buried Fulford Cemetery, York.
Navigator - F/Sgt William Charles Aubrey Poulter (1386631). Injured.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt William M McArter RCAF (R/129442). Injured.
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt John H T McEwan RAFVR (1579041). Injured.
Rear Gunner - Sgt Thomas Lawman RAFVR (1028987). Injured.
This photograph shows many of the crew who were involved in this accident to Halifax JB794. Assumed names are (left to right) H D Chappell, R Bowers Jnr, Poulter, Chatterton (a 2nd pilot), Newman, Storey, McEwan & Lawman. This photograph must have been taken just before take-off for Ops one evening, the pidgeon boxes suggest that they were to fly over the sea. Also of interest is the basic nose art this Halifax carried, the "Ceylon" wording was the name given to 102 Squadron and the number of Ops the aircraft had done, there are at least 35 Ops recorded on it. It is said to be a photograph of JB794 itself.
I suspect that the bomb aimer named (far left) in the photograph above was one F/Sgt Howard Douglas Chappell RAFVR (1431223), killed flying with the PFF 97 Squadron on 26th August 1944 in Lancaster PB398.
Sgt Bowers gravestone in Fulford Cemetery.
William McArter was posted to 102 Squadron in early 1943 and remained with them until March 1944. He returned home after the War and died in February 2004.
My thanks to Mrs Joy Jackson, and her husband Mike, for contacting me regarding this incident; her father being Sgt Thomas Lawman. I thank them for the crew photograph and for the other information they were able to kindly provide in making this account.
I also thank Mrs Sue Ginn for contacting me and supply extra information in July 2012, remarkably she is a niece of two of the crew; Alan Storey and William Poulter. Sgt Poulter was initially taken to Fulford Hospital for treatment and was expected to have made a full recovery. However, while being taken to a convalescent home in Wales and being flown over the Pennines by the RAF, he was not strapped in and after the aircraft hit turbulence he fell out of his position in the aircraft and sustained a broken neck. He was admitted to Stoke Manderville hospital to treat his spinal injuries. He would later marry Mollie Storey, sister of the late pilot of JB794 Alan Storey. Prior to Mrs Ginn contacting me this account listed that William Poulter as being a vicar, Mrs Ginn's information confirmed that this was not correct however it was a nickname bestowed on him by the other members of his crew as he was a very spiritual person.
There is a strong possibility that the Storey family of Prestbury lost another of their family in RAF service and a cousin of Alan Storey. On 21st May 1944 Gilbert Storey RAFVR, 63 Squadron was killed. Both airmen are buried alongside each other.