On the night of 8th / 9th April 1945 the crew of this 466 Squadron aircraft took off from Driffield airfield at 19.46hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. On their return to Yorkshire many of the squadrons based in the county had trouble locating their bases because of thick fog. This aircraft had probably managed to return to the landing circuit of Driffield using the various forms of electronic navigation the aircraft carried at the time but in letting down through the cloud at 01.15hrs the aircraft flew into a small wood that surrounds Kirkburn Grange Farm, Tibthorpe and disintergrated. Sadly all on board were killed. Strangely the CWGC database lists some of the dates of death of members of this crew as being on 8th April 1945 and also some on 9th April 1945 which would suggest that some had died prior to the aircraft returning to the skies of Yorkshire (or it's probably just an error on the part of CWGC). The photograph above shows the crash scene looking back towards the direction the aircraft flew in from with the hole in the trees made by the aircraft. A memorial was erected close to the crash site in 2020 during the first Covid-19 lockdown but owing to restrictions imposed a dedication did not take place.
Pilot - F/O Dugald John Watson RAAF (417914), aged 21, of Prospect, South Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (H.J.11).
Flight Engineer - P/O Roylance Sydney King RAFVR (187081), aged 20, of Southend on Sea. Buried Southend on Sea Cemetery, Essex.
Navigator - F/Lt William Alan Clarke Patterson DFC RAFVR (129483), aged 23, of Hexham. Buried Hexham Cemetery, Northumberland.
Bomb Aimer - P/O George Alan Halliday RAAF (427322), aged 28, of Collie, Western Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (H.J.12).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O Robert Michael Gale RAFVR (146092), aged 24, wife of Roundhay, Leeds. Buried Roundhay (St.John) Churchyard, Leeds, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - P/O Alfred John Damm RAAF (426550), aged 32, of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. Buried Dalnottar Cemetery, Scotland.
Air Gunner - F/O William Gerrard Flynn DFM RAFVR (158001), aged 32, born Prestwich, Lancashire. Buried Manchester Southern Cemetery, Lancashire.
This photograph appeared on Facebook and was posted by Terrence Vossen, whose uncle was killed in the crash. The names remain unconfirmed.
Back Row L-R: ?, ?, Watson?, ?
Front Row L-R: Halliday?, ?, Damm.
Halifax LW172 had completed 97 operational flights and carried the nose art of "Get Up Them Stairs" (/ "G.U.T.S.") with the Popeye and Olive Oil characters. It is seen here with a large group of air and ground service men and women (not the crew of LW172 when it crashed at Kirkburn Grange).
Dugald Watson was born on 22nd October 1923 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and enlisted for RAAF service in Adelaide
George Halliday was born on 30th July 1916 at Boulder, Western Australia. When he enlisted for RAAF service in Perth on 21st June 1942 he was working as a schoool teacher at Nedlands. On arrival in the UK he had trained at 4 (O)AFU, 27 OTU and 1652 HCU before serving with 10 Squadron and 578 Squadron. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 27th October 1944 and was posted to 466 Squadron on 15th March 1945.
Alfred Damm was born on 27th May 1912 at Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia and enlisted for RAAF service in Brisbane on 18th July 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at 1658 HCU before posting to 466 Squadron for the first time on 27th September 1943 but was hospitalised on 2nd November 1943 before flying any operational flights. It took until 20th February 1944 for him to return to 466 Squadron but this was only until the end of March 1944 when he was posted away to 1663 HCU (probably to refresh his training). In July 1944 he was posted to 10 Squadron then in August 1944 to 578 Squadron. He received a commission on 14th January 1945. In total he flew five operational flights with 10 Squadron, thirteeen with 578 Squadron and two with 466 Squadron (in 1945).
William Paterson received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 18th September 1943 and rose to F/O six months later. He had been awarded the DFC for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 7th December 1943.
William Flynn was awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th September 1943 but by the time the award had been granted he had received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 19th August 1943, he rose to F/O six months later.
Robert Gale had served with 78 Squadron earlier in the war 18th December 1941 he was flying in Whitley Z9277 that crashed on Simon Seat, a hill on the side of Wharfedale, Yorkshire. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 12th May 1943 and rose to F/O six months later.
Roylance King had earlier served with 429 Squadron and survived the crash of Halifax JD333 near Snape on 26th November 1943. He was posted to 578 Squadron in 1944 and received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 8th November 1944. Following service with 578 Squadron he was posted to 466 Squadron.