On 8th April 1943 the crew of this aircraft were one of nine from the same training, No.5 A.O.S. that were undertaking a cross country navigation training flight on this date. This specific aircraft took off from Jurby, on the Isle of Man, at 14.19hrs with the route of the flight using turning points of Fleetwood, York, Hexham, Carlisle and returning to their base of Jurby. Ansons EG361 and EG305 failed to return to Jurby. EG305 had clipped high ground somewhere between Hexham and Carlisle and the crew made a forced landing Brampton. The crew of EG361 made their final wireless contact with Jurby at 16.35hrs when they believed that they were roughly over Carlisle. The weather over high ground was poor on this date it is was likely that the crew had become lost while flying in low cloud. When they failed to return to Jurby a search was begun and the crashed Anson EG361 was eventually located by the crew of another Anson at 18.00hrs on 10th April 1943 and found to have crashed in the area west of Bassenthwaite Lake, on Lord Seat. A search was then begun by a ground party who located the site at 20.15hrs, they found four of the crew had died at the site but one of the crew was found alive. He was initially treated at the scene but was then brought down from the crash site and admitted to the Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital in Keswick. Sadly his injuries were so severe that he died there on 11th April 1943.
It was thought that the aircraft was being flown much further south than the crew believed they were. Instead of being over low ground to the west of Carlisle they were actually they were flying some twelve miles south of their assumed position which was over cloud-covered high ground. Possible strong up and down air currents were thought to have effected the control of the aircraft and after it descended over high ground it had crashed.
Pilot - Sgt Harold Motby RAF (657927), aged 26, of Bury. Buried Bury Churchyard, Lancashire.
Navigator - P/O Maurice Herbert Finbow RCAF (J/14740), aged 29, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Haverigg Cemetery, Cumbria.
Navigator - F/O Robert Alexander Duff RCAF (J/21885), aged 22, of Langley Prairie, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Haverigg Cemetery, Cumbria.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (Instructor) - Sgt James Cooney RAFVR (934034), aged 27, of Ballykelly, Ireland. Buried Whitechurch Churchyard, Wexford, Ireland. Died 9th April 1943.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (U/T) - Sgt William Frederick Marshall RAFVR (1576777), aged 20, of Smethwick. Buried Smethwick Uplands Cemetery, Staffordshire. Died 11th April 1943.
Maurice Finbow was born on 11th January 1914 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Herbert James and Jennie Barclay Finbow (nee Wright). His father was born in England and his mother was born in Wales but both had emigrated to Canada before they were married. He had worked as a studio photographer from 1932 to 1938 and married Kathleen Mavis Norris in Toronto in 1938. He had been working as a salesman for an insurance company since 1938 when he enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 5th April 1941. He initially began training as a pilot but switched to navigator training in May 1942. After basic training in Canada he received his commission to the rank of P/O on 9th October 1942 and was awarded his Air Observer's badge on the same date. He left Canada for service overseas in late October 1942 and arrived in the UK on 5th November 1942. He was posted to No.5 A.O.S. on 22nd March 1943. His brother Sgt Harold Thomas Finbow, a member of an Armoured Regiment of the Canadian Army attended his funeral on 16th April 1943 at Millom.
Robert Duff was born on 7th October 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of Andrew and Maude Duff (nee Lemoine). After attending Langley High School he studied pharmacy at the British Columbia School of Pharmacy and Science from 1937 to 1941 while working as an apprentice pharmacist in a drug store in Langley Prairie. He enlisted for RCAF service in Vancouver on 28th July 1941 and after basic training in Canada was awarded his Air Observer's badge on 14th August 1942. He received a commission on the same date on gaining his flying Wings. He left Canada in late October 1942 and arrived in the UK on 5th November 1942. He was promoted to F/O (temp) on 14th February 1943 and was posted to No.5 A.O.S. on 22nd March 1943.
Harold Motby had trained as a pilot in Rhodesia. He arrived at Jurby on 13th March 1943, he had flown nine earlier navigation exercises prior to the one in which he was killed.
The CWGC database states that James Cooney had died on 9th April 1943, this was the day after the crash. The accident records stated that four members of the crew had died in
the crash but if if died on this date then he must have died of his injuries at the crash site before rescue came. The photograph shown above was found on John Quigley's family history
website.
The location of where this incident occurred has not yet been found. If you can assist please contact me
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