On the night of 10th / 11th August 1943 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Nurnberg. This raid was later generally regarded as a failure. On their return to Yorkshire this aircraft was running out of fuel as they neared base of Breighton. With half an hour fuel remaining the crew asked for permission to land at Breighton and were given instructions to join the landing circuit with them placed fifth in turn to land. The pilot believed that he had enough fuel left to make this possible. Two other aircraft that were returning in difficulties were given permission to land ahead of this aircraft making them seventh. A short time later a fuel warning light lit showing the port inner engine had run out of fuel. The pilot called to request a priority landing and whilst waiting for permission he made an approach to land on the nearest runway in a crosswind. After lowering the undercarriage two engines then cut out before the propellers could be feathered. The pilot then lost control. At 06.19hrs it crashed near Bowthorpe Hall, South Duffield short of the runway at Breighton though the location is closer to Wressle despite being at the other side of the River Derwent. Sadly three of the seven crew died as a result of this accident.
The AM Form 1180 gives a map reference location of the accident and this plots to being near Bowthorpe Hall. A small memorial plaque was placed two miles away within Intake Plantation, Wressle close to the crash site of Halifax DT524 in more recent years but it is unfortunately at the wrong location. This appears to have been because the information that was on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum relating to where JD151 and DT524 crashed were mixed up and whomever arranged for the memorial probably used that information as being correct. Historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast located small fragments of Halifax DT524 with permission from the landowner, confirming the crash location as being near Bowthorpe Hall. They also located the correct crash site of Halifax JD151 proving the correct map reference on the AM Form 1180.
Accessing the memorial to JD151 is down the line of mitigated trespassing as there is no public right of way or public access to the woodland, also a deep water-filled ditch follows the public road around the woodland which makes accessing it less than easy. The memorial is visible from the south-eastern most corner of the woodland from the road but to access it I had to go in through a field gate slightly nearer Wressle, follow the edge of the field and enter the woodland from the west. There is a worn path into the woodland from the field on this side. Once into the wood one has to battle through the undergrowth toward the memorial.
Navigator - P/O Harry Binns RAFVR (149339), aged 35. Buried Birkdale Cemetery, Lancashire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Thomas Gillicker RAF (547631), aged 23. Buried Warrington Cemetery, Lancashire.
Flight Engineer - F/Sgt William John Brown RAF (616402), aged 22. Died 13th August 1943. Buried Allerton Cemetery, Liverpool.
Pilot - P/O Jack Jenkinson RAFVR (149961). Injured.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Charles William Eyles RAFVR (900473). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Lt Gerald John O'Neill DFM RAF (47705). Injured.
Air Gunner - S/Sgt Richard Lewis Barger USAAF (10601064). Injured.
The small memorial in woodland near the crash site of Halifax DT524 (not JD151). Photograph credit to Eric Barton.
Harry Binns was born on 18th June 1908 at Burnley, Lancashire. He enlisted for RAF service on 27th January 1941 and went on to receive a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 29th June 1943.
William Eyles was awarded the DFM for service with 35 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th November 1944, for work done in the Pathfinder Force.
Jack Jenkinson was awarded the DFM for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943, but by this date he had been given a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 29th June 1943 though the London Gazette only printed this notification on 21st September 1943. He was later promoted to F/O on 29th December 1943 and to F/Lt on 29th June 1945. After a tour with 78 Squadron he served at 1658 HCU as an instructor.
Richard Barger was a US citizen from Ohio but enlisted for RCAF service before the USA entered the War. He initially served in the RCAF in the UK before transferring / enlisting into the USAAF on 13th July 1943 in Chorley, Lancashire. He died in 2012. I credit forum posts on the RAFCommands webforum with this information.
Gerald O'Neill was born on 3rd January 1920 at Tranmere. He was serving as a wireless operator with 9 Squadron as far back as 1937. He was awarded the DFM for service with 9 Squadron, Gazetted on 31st May 1940 while still in the rank of Leading Aircraftman. The citation for his DFM reads.."This airman is the Wireless Operator/Air Gunner in his Flight Commander's aircraft. On several occasions during a period of intense operations, he performed his duties with coolness and resource although the aircraft came under fire from ground defences and enemy aircraft. Particularly on 9th April 1940, he was the Wireless Operator in Wellington P9239 which carried out a long-distance reconnaissance covering Kristiansand, Stavanger and Bergen during the landing of enemy troops in Norway. Despite very adverse conditions, he maintained continuous W/T communications with Base and succeeded in passing valuable information in connection with the movement of enemy warships, aircraft and troops." He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 30th December 1941 and was promoted to F/O on probation on 1st October 1942. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 2nd June 1943 for work done as an instructor. He was later promoted to F/Lt on 30th December 1943. Post-war he was appointed to a commission in the Training Branch of the RAF, to the rank of P/O on 22nd September 1947 and was promoted to F/O five years later. Nothing more about his service is yet known.
William Brown was born on 6th February 1921 at Liverpool and enlisted for RAF service on 25th July 1938. He died at Naburn Military Hospital on 13th August 1943.
Thomas Gillicker was born on 5th July 1920 at Warrington, Lancashire and enlisted for RAF service on 11th January 1938.