Halifax DK149 near Londesborough.

During the afternoon of the 8th November 1944 the crew of this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Rufforth at 14.54hrs to undertake a training flight. The flight would include a fighter affiliation excerise involving Hurricane HW684 which would make mock attacks on the bomber, this would allow the crew to practice communicating with each other directing the pilot to take evasive action, also the gunners would swing their guns on the fighter (but not fire) to simulate an enemy aircraft attacking them. During the exercise, held over the general Market Weighton area, the Hurricane collided with the Halifax at 15.29hrs causing the Halifax to immediately go out of control. Unfortunately none of the crew of the Halifax was able to get clear of the aircraft before it crashed into a field near Warrendale Plantation, near the village of Londesborough, and all were killed. Historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast located small fragments on the surface at the crash site in November 2000 with permission from the landowner, confirming the crash location. The Hurricane became uncontrollable but it's pilot was able to successfully bale out and he landed safely but that crash site remains un-located.

Pilot - Sgt Alexandre P/R Mauroux FAFL (30972), aged 25. Buried Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey.

Navigator - Lt Robert M L Vial FAFL, aged 31. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Bomb Aimer - Adj Tustin E Toiron FAFL, aged 30. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Marcel J M Crolas FAFL, aged 21. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Edouard Didier (or Sidier)-Laurent FAFL, aged 24. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Air Gunner - Sgt Pierre Fernand Delpech FAFL, aged 21. Buried Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey?

Air Gunner - Sgt Jacques J A Tournon FAFL, aged 23. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Passenger (mechanic) - Sgt Jean B Noyes FAFL, aged 25. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Passenger (mechanic) or Air Gunner? - Sgt Laurent Pinelli FAFL, aged 21. Initially buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. Burial location now believed to be in France.

Full names, service numbers and burial locations of many members of this crew have yet to be obtained. I am struggling to find definitive confirmation of their correct full names.
Halifax DK149 was built to contract ACFT/891/SAS C4 by Fairey Aviation Ltd. at Stockport. It was flown new to Linton on Ouse airfield on 4th April 1943 and three days later was taken on charge by 76 Squadron who were based there. The squadron records make an error on 21st April 1943 in that they list one aircraft as flying Ops twice. DK149 is not listed but it's AM Form 78 states that it sustained Cat.Ac/FB damage on this date so it seems highly likely to have sustained damaged on Ops this night. A repair on site at Linton on Ouse began on 23rd April 1943 and it was returned to 76 Squadron on 2nd May 1943. 76 Squadron moved to Holme on Spalding Moor on 16th June 1943. On 26th September 1943 the aircraft transferred to 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit at Rufforth. On 28th December 1943 it collided with an M.T. vehicle while it was taxying around Rufforth airfield causing the starboard outer propeller to be damaged. Minor Cat.A/FA damage would have been the damage assessment which was not logged on the AM Form 78. A repair on site was carried out. It was used by 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit until a serious accident on 8th November 1944 when it was involved in a mid-air collision with Hurricane HW684 on a fighter affiliation exercise. The aircraft crashed at Warrendale Plantation, Londesborough. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 18th November 1944.

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