Wellington LN585 was on the books of the Bomber Command Instructor's School (B.C.I.S.) which was a flying school set up to train flying instructors of Bomber Command to train their pupils to the same standards and this incident was the unit's only fatal flying accident. On 8th April 1945 the crew of this aircraft took off from Finningley to undertake single engined flying, landing and overshooting. At 16.00hrs the aircraft made an approach to land with the starboard engine feathered, the aircraft continued to then overshoot but in making a turn to the right the aircraft stalled, lost height and crashed just off the airfield near Blaxton. Sadly three of the crew died in this accident while the fourth member of the crew was injured. The location given on one of the crew's death certificates gives "16 Acre Plantation, Wroot Road, Blaxton" as being the crash location.

Staff Pilot - F/Lt Gerald Arthur Clark RAFVR (160772), aged 24, wife of Kensington, London. Cremated Sheffield, Yorkshire.

Pupil Pilot - F/O William Gordon Craig DFC RAAF (416549), aged 23, of Prospect, South Australia, Australia. Buried Darlington West Cemetery, Co.Durham.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Bertram Frederick Griggs RAFVR (1293225), aged 25, of Devonport. Buried Weston Mill Cemetery, Plymouth, Devon.

Pupil Pilot - F/O Gerald Lofthouse DFC (172415). Slightly injured.

William Craig was born William Gordon Crapp on 28th January 1922 in Adelaide, South Australia and was the son Albert Charles and Mary Ann Crapp. He was worked as a clerk for Crapp and Hawkes Ltd, which was probably his father's company, before enlisting for RAAF service. He enlisted on 21st July 1941 in Adelaide and after training was awarded his pilots' wings on 27th May 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at 15 (P)AFU, 24 OTU and 1664 HCU before posting to 431 Squadron on 19th September 1943. He then received aommission on 5th December 1943 to the rank of P/O and rose to F/O six months later. For service with 431 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted much later on 13th October 1944, the citation for which reads..(Acting) "F/Lt Craig has completed numerous operational sorties over enemy territory attacking such distant and well defended targets as Berlin, Frankfurt and Essen. In April, during an attack on Essen, by his coolness and presence of mind he successfully evaded persistent attacks by enemy night fighters and despite the opposition, he pressed on with great gallantry to bomb the target. This officer's tenacity, endurance and fine fighting spirit have been of a high order throughout his tour of duty." While stationed at Croft he appears to have met and then married Olive Mary Swainston in Darlington in August 1944. With his tour complete at 431 Squadron he was initially posted to 1659 HCU on 15th August 1944 and the 20 OTU on 6th September 1944 probably to instruct. He was later posted to the B.C.I.S. on 15th November 1944. After the War William Craig's wife later emigrated to Australia.