On 21st November 1944 the crew of this 426 Squadron aircraft took off from Linton on Ouse airfield at 15.47hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Castrop Rauxel. The aircraft received minor flak damage to the rear fuselage shortly after leaving the target area while over Germany. On the return to the general area of their base at Linton on Ouse, it entered the landing circuit and later made radio contact with the ground contollers. It was given landing instructions but this was not acknowledged and the aircraft later found to have flown into the ground at speed around 200 yards north of Flawith at 21.45hrs. It had passed through a number of hedges and a row of trees causing the aircraft to break up and a fire develop when it came to rest in a turnip field. Visibility was not perfect at the time of the crash but it did not prevent other returning crews landing at Linton on Ouse that evening. While five of the crew were killed two survived. The survivors later stated when the aircraft was in the landing circuit the pilot transmitted on the aircraft's intercom that he had lost sight of the runway at Linton on Ouse and requested that the navigator go from the rest position at the back of the aircraft to the cockpit. Soon after they then received an instruction over the intercom to put on parachutes and immediately afterwards the crash occurred. They did not learn why this order was made by the pilot, the surviving navigator assumed there was a radical problem which had effected the pilot controlling the aircraft. A detailed examination of the wreckage took place and although the control mechanism was destroyed by fire it was thought highly likely that loose equipment within the aircraft had fouled the elevator controls causing the pilot difficulties and the eventual crash.
Pilot - P/O Thomas John Hunt RCAF (J/88262), aged 30, of Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/C/14).
Flight Engineer - P/O Hartley Ernest Reynolds RCAF (J/93115), aged 27, of Brockville, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/C/16).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Garnet Illingsworth Hopper RCAF (J/36267), aged 21, wife of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/C/13).
Wireless Operator - P/O David Jason Stevens RCAF (J/92919), aged 21, of Athens, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/C/15).
Mid Upper Gunner - P/O James Neil Atkinson RCAF (J/94231), aged 19, of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/C/17).
Navigator - F/O J G Rae RCAF (J/36824). Injured.
Rear Gunner - F/Sgt Glen William Murray RCAF (R/212832). Injured.
Thomas Hunt was born on 20th May 1914 at Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Richard and Lucy (nee Beynon) Hunt. He enlisted for RCAF service at Fort William, Ontarion on 5th June 1940 and after training in Canada he was awarded his pilots' flying badge on 18th November 1940. He was then selected to become a flying instructor and after further training served at No.4 SFTS, No.2 SFTS and No.10 SFTS. He married Gladys Mary McCartney in March 1942 at Port Arthur. In Autumn 1943 he appears to have then volunteered for service overseas and on arrival in the UK went down the Bomber Command pilot's training route, training at 6 (P)AFU, 16 OTU and 1666 HCU, receiving a commission on 24th July 1944 before posting to 426 Squadron on 30th September 1944.
Hartley Reynolds was born on 29th December 1917 at Glen Buell, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Ernest and Sarah (nee Burnham) Reynolds. After leaving school in 1932 he worked in farming and also for his father as a carpenter but latterly worked as a garage mechanic. He enlisted for RCA service on 8th February 1941 in Ottawa for ground duties and originally served as an aero engine mechanic in Canada. He remustered as aircrew in July 1943 and after training in Canada he was awarded an air gunners' flying badge on 12th November 1943. His service as an air gunner was only brief however as he re-mustered as an flight engineer not long after, probably feeling his time served as a mechanic (both in civilian and military life) would be better used as a flight engineer than an air gunner. On arrival in the UK he trained at No.4 School of Technical Training, which entailed an attachment to the Rootes factory to presumably learn the inner workings of Halifaxes. He was then posted to 1666 HCU and on to 426 Squadron on 23rd July 1944. He later spent another six weeks at 1666 HCU in August and September 1944 before returning to 426 Squadron. He appears to have been granted a back-dated commission after his death, dated to 19th November 1944.
Garnet Hopper was born on 3rd July 1923 at Orillia, Ontario, Canada and was the son of William John and Frances Louise (nee Walker) Hopper. After leaving high school in 1940 he initially worked as a labourer Penetanguishene before beginning studying at the Galt Aircraft School in 1941. He then enlisted for RCAF service on 6th December 1941 at Hamilton, Ontario to serve as an airframe mechanic serving in Canada. He re-mustering as aircrew in Summer 1942 and initially beginning pilot training but switching to air bomber training. He was awarded his air bombers' flying badge and also a commission on 1st October 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 7 (O)AFU, 24 OTU and 1666 HCU before posting to 426 Squadron on 23rd July 1944. He also was re-posted to 1666 HCU in August / September 1944 before returning to 426 Squadron. His four brothers all served in the Canadian forces during WW2.
David Stevens was born on 30th August 1923 at Webbwood, Ontario, Canada and was the son of David Thomas and Iona Louise (nee Caldwell) Stevens. He left high school in 1941 and began driving trucks for a company in Brockville. Enlisting into the RCAF in Ottawa on 11th May 1942 he trained as a wireless operator / air gunner and received his air gunners' flying badge on 20th August 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 7 (O)AFU, 24 OTU and 1666 HCU before posting to 426 Squadrin in July 1944. He also returned to 1666 HCU in August and September 1944 before returning to 426 Squadron.
James Atkinson was born on 21st July 1925 at Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of Neil and Annie (nee Gimmell) Atkinson. As a young man he worked as a plumber after leaving school. He enlisted for RCAF service on 18th February 1943 in Vancouver and after training was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 14th January 1944. On arrival in the UK he trained at 24 OTU and 1666 HCU before posting to 426 Squadron on 23rd July 1944. In August and September he was posted to 1666 HCU for further training but returned to 426 Squadron with other members of this crew with this being complete. He appears to have received a back-dated commission after his death, dated to 20th November 1944.