On 9th August 1943 the crew of this aircraft were to undertake a night navigation exercise and took off from their base at West Freugh at midnight and were to have used various turning points using landmarks on the south-west coast of Scotland, the Isle of Man and also Carlisle. The visibility on taking off was poor and during the course of the flight it did not improve. During the leg between the Isle of Man and Carlisle the aircraft flew off course. The aircraft eventually ended up over the north-eastern side of the Lake District when it flew into high ground at 02.00hrs, believed to have been on the slopes of High Pike. The crash investigation blamed a mix up with the crew and their responsiblities in the area resulted in them not knowing where they were and the aircraft not being flown high enough in the area of high ground. This may have been to hide the fact that unforecast strong winds and bad visibility had effected the flying of other Ansons on this night flying a similar training flights but with different turning points used for the exercises. Three other Ansons had drifted over the Lake District while flying a leg of the flight between Carlisle and Douglas and all crashed onto mountains. It seems highly likely that the same strong winds had also effected this aircraft as well.
Pilot - Sgt John Maurice Couling RAFVR (1387660). Injured.
Bomb Aimer - P/O George Douglas Eakins RCAF (J/24638). Injured.
Navigator - Sgt H G Millard. Injured.
Staff Wireless Operator - Sgt H Hamilton.
Trainee Wireless Operator - Sgt John Henry Tottman RAFVR (1468121). Injured.
George Eakins was the youngest son of George and May Eakins, of Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada. He was possibly born in August 1918 and was a law student when he left university to enlist into the RCAF. After basic training he arrived in the UK in May 1943. George Eakins' older brother P/O Paris Richmond Eakins RCAF (J/7009) was killed flying with 411 Squadron on 19th August 1942 when Spitfire BM406 crashed near Dieppe. He is buried in Neufchatel Cemetery, France and was twenty eight years old. He had another brother Gordon Eakins who served in the Canadian Army.
John Couling was probably born on 8th May 1916 at Ealing, London and if correct then he was the son of Cyril Dyke and Sarah Lois Lydia (nee Thrower) Couling. He married at Warwick in 1947 and died in 1987 at Rugby.
John Tottman was probably born on 5th January 1921 at Edmonton, London and if correct was the son of Henry Herbert and Edith Emma (nee Cox) Tottman. When the 1939 Register was compiled the family were living at Thingoe, Suffolk. He married in Hertfordshire in 1945 and died in 2013 at Diss, Norfolk.
Sgt Millard may have been Harold George Millard RAFVR (1165729) and if so he was killed serving with 83 Squadron on 9th May 1944. He is buried at Lanveoc Communal Cemetery, France, BUT he was a flight engineer. He was born on 17th November 1921 at Bundaberg, Australia and was the son of Harold Brown and Kathleen (nee McLoughlin) Millard.
The aircraft is believed to have crashed in the area shown on this photograph, taken from the lower slopes of Carrock Fell.
The location of where this incident occurred has not yet been found. If you can assist please contact me HERE. Thank you.