On the night of 8th / 9th April 1945 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft took off from Breighton airfield at 19.28hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. On the return to Yorkshire the weather was poor, this aircraft crossed the Yorkshire coastline around the Robin Hoods Bay and a course was set towards base using the GEE homing equipment because thick fog had set in over high and rising ground. The crew appear to have had problems using the GEE system and got themselves into a right muddle, they made a few changes in direction as they headed roughly towards Breighton. From Robin Hoods Bay they ended up back near the coast of East Yorkshire and after flying over Lissett airfield (which would appear to have been out of the fog) they saw the airfield identification lettering "L.T." which they took to be Linton on Ouse. From Lissett they then appear to have headed roughly west (which would seem strange if they thought they were over Linton as Breighton is south-east of Linton but perhaps they had spotted the coastline and finally began to work out their position). After heading west from Lissett they flew back into thick fog and after descending down into what they thought was a break in the cloud the aircraft flew into the ground at 01.46hrs near Farberry Garth Farm, Warter, on the Yorkshire Wolds. The aircraft broke up as it crossed a number of fields and sadly three of the crew died as a result of this accident while the other four airmen survived but were injured. The farm has since been demolished.

Navigator - WO2 Thomas William Fry RCAF (R/192965), aged 21, of Hollyburn, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/J/6).

Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt James Maurice Pougnet RCAF (R/190262), aged 24, of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/J/6).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Maurice Henry Steele RAFVR (1890024), aged 20, of Shoreham-by-Sea. Buried Shoreham-by-Sea Cemetery, Sussex.

Pilot - F/Lt Ival Barry Jackson RCAF (J/20724). Slightly injured.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Charles Terence Gray RAFVR (3030403). Slightly injured.

Mid Upper Gunner - F/O Frederick George Jones RCAF (J/43065). Slightly injured.

Rear Gunner - F/Sgt J Sims RCAF (R/276179). Slightly injured.

Thomas Fry was born on 8th July 1912 at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Arthur Greenslade and Mary Elizabeth (nee McCrum) Fry. He was working as a draftsman for the British Columbia Telephone Company and living in West Vancouver when he enlisted for RCAF service on 14th October 1942 in Vancouver. After training he was awarded navigators' flying badge on 10th December 1943. Eight days later while on leave he married Edith Phillips in Regina, Saskatchewan. He arrived in the UK at Easter 1944 and would train at 2 (O)AFU and 19 OTU before posting to 78 Squadron on 11th March 1945.

James Pougnet was born on 29th May 1920 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and was the son of Francis J and Mary (nee McDade) Pougnet. He was working as a laboratory tester for the Atlantic Sugar Refineries when he enlisted for RCAF service on 20th October 1942 at Moncton. Having trained as a bomb aimer he gained his flying badge on 11th February 1944. On arrival in the UK he would train at 9 (O)AFU and 19 OTU before posting to 78 Squadron also on 11th March 1945.