During the morning of 7th February 1944 this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was used to fly a day time training flight. While the unit were based at Rufforth airfield the aircraft may not have taken off from there because around this date construction work was being carried at Rufforth so trainee crews used other airfields in the general area to the east of York. At 10.15hrs and whilst flying in low cloud the aircraft flew into the top of Garrowby Hill, to the west of Stamford Bridge, crossed a road and caught fire. Sadly the crew died as a result of the crash. A milk lorry happened to be travelling up the road at the time and the aircraft struck this lorry, the driver of which was also killed. One of the crew was able to escape from the burning aircraft and ran to rescuers for help, he was taken to York Hospital but sadly died soon after. A member of this aircraft's regular crew was in hospital at the time and as a result of the accident had lost all of his crew, he would later complete his training and be posted to an operational squadron. It was through the efforts of this man, Mr Alun Emlyn-Jones; the crew's regular bomb aimer and through others that a memorial stone was erected at the crash site and unveiled on 8th May 1996. Brian Mennell's "Wings Over York" book gives a superb account of this incident. Many of the crew are pictured in this book. On 1st August 1999 a ghostly figure thought to have been one of the crew was seen at the crash site who apparently spoke to a lady who had parked in the lay-by where the memorial is sited.

Instructor Pilot - F/Lt Alfred John Shirley Hodson DFC RAFVR (130663), aged 30, of Maidenhead, Berkshire. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/K/19).

Trainee Pilot - F/Sgt Stanley Bright RAFVR (1042582), aged 22, of Westerhope. Buried All Saints Cemetery, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Flight Engineer - Sgt John Frederick Nelson RAFVR (1796160), aged 21, of Belfast. Buried Belfast City Cemetery.

Navigator - F/O John Kingsley Meyler RAFVR (151321), aged 25, of Jarrow. Buried Jarrow Cemetery, Co.Durham.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Smith RAFVR (1577088), aged 22, of Hednesdford, Cannock. Buried Hednesford Churchyard, Staffordshire.

Air Gunner - Sgt Peter Gordon McDonald RAFVR (1822055), aged 19, of Bearsden, Dunbartonshire. Buried Glasgow Western Necropolis.

Air Gunner - Sgt Sidney James Booker RAFVR (1866190), aged 19. Of London. Buried City of London Cemetery, Manor Park, London. Died of injuries York District.

Lorry Driver - Mr Arthur Wood Kirkby, aged 39, of 3 Carlton Street, Hessle Road, Hull. Buried Hessle Cemetery, Yorkshire.

The memorial stone as I photographed it in July 2006.

Alfred Hodson was almost certainly born in Maidenhead in 1913 and married in Maldon, Essex in 1937. He received his commission on 25th September 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency), rising to F/O (war subs) on 25th March 1943. He had previously served with 76 Squadron and as Acting F/Lt was awarded the DFC after completing a Tour with that Unit which appeared in the London Gazette dated 7th January 1944, the citation reads.. "This officer has completed many sorties, involving attacks on various centres in the Ruhr and many other important targets in Germany. He is a fearless and skilful captain, whose determination to achieve success has always been apparent and his efforts have been worthy of great praise. His example has greatly inspired his crew."