Previous publications have added confusion as to which aircraft actually crashed on Skelton Moor near Green House Farm (now High Greenas farm), near the small village of Hurst, Richmond in late 1940. A site visit by my wife and I in June 2007 yielded only a few pieces of wreckage although one contained a part number identifiable as that of a Blenheim. The explanation below should clear up any confusion between the modern publications. The aircraft in question was Blenheim L1467 and it's service history confirms it was written off after a crash on 20th December 1940.
On 20th December 1940 the crew of this aircraft became lost whilst on a raid interception flight and not on a night cross-country navigation exercise as recorded elsewhere. The weather was poor with low cloud covering the Pennines on this night. A new "Masquerade" coding system was being used to let pilots know the rough heights they were flying at, it was thought that the pilot became muddled in trying to work out the height he was actually flying at the height in which is should have been flying in order to avoid any high ground beneath. Whilst flying at 1500ft, instead of 2500ft and after descending through the cloud they were in the aircraft flew into high ground on Skelton Moor, not far from Green House Farm at 20.10hrs. The aircraft was completely destroyed and one crew member killed in the crash, the other was seriously injured and he sadly died later of these injuries. It is believed that the aircraft had flown into the ground at a shallow angle. Catterick's ORB gives the aircraft as being flown by "P/O Graham and Sgt Wilson". They state it "flew into hill descending in cloud on night interception". The AM Form 1180 confirms the aircraft as being L1467 but with a different pilot. It was believed that this new coding system and the confusion it could cause that had caused the crash, as a result the AM1180 asked for it to be changed.
Blenheim L1467 was built to contract 527114/36 by The Bristol Aeroplane Co. at Filton and was awaiting collection in December 1938. It was then delivered directly to 64 Squadron at Church Fenton on 20th December 1938. It was placed in storage with 20 MU at Aston Down on 3rd July 1940. It was later issued to 600 Squadron at Catterick on 16th November 1940. In the incident above it sustained Cat.W/FA damage and was struck off charge on 31st December 1940. At the time of the accident its is believed to have been coded "BQ-W".
Pilot - Sgt Thomas Norman Wilson RAFVR (754004), aged 20, of Breage Crest, Helston, Cornwall. Buried Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Air Gunner - P/O George Henry Holmes DFM RAFVR (84682), aged ? Of ? Buried Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire. Died 26th December 1940.
The crash list on public display at the Yorkshire Air Museum claims the aircraft to have wrongly been Blenheim L9034 and an incorrect date of 26th October 1940, L9034 was based at Bicester at the time on charge with 13 OTU. L9034 was delivered to 9 MU Cosford on 13th November 1939 and was issued to 104 Squadron at Bicester on 6th December 1939. 104 Squadron merged with 108 Squadron to form 13 OTU and the aircraft was taken on charge by the new unit. It was struck off charge on 20th December 1940, but no details of why this occured are known at present. It was not damaged in Yorkshire and is not the correct identity of the Blenheim. For some bizarre and unexplainable reason Peter Clark credits this loss as Wellington Z8853 in his "An Unexpected Foe" book. He selected the wrong Marske as the crash location. Z8853 crashed near Marske, Redcar and surely a simple check of the airman's death for the Wellington he gives in the death index register would have shown this error.
Both airmen were buried in Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.
George Holmes flew with 600 Squadron during both the Battle's of France and Britain. On 10th May 1940 he was flying as air gunner with P/O Hayes as pilot in a Blenheim during the attack on Rotterdam airfield. 600 Squadron sent up six aircraft tasked with attacking the same target however five of the six did not return with the loss of seven airmen. Hayes/Holmes' Blenheim was the only one to return to base but had suffered damage by intense enemy fire and the crew became handicapped by the fumes from a burst fuel tank, Holmes directed his pilot through the necessary evasive manoeuvres and was largely responsible for the aircraft surviving. For his actions he was awarded an immediate DFM, Gazetted on 24th May 1940. The citation for his DFM reads..
"800513 Corporal George Henry HOLMES. This airman was air gunner in one of six aircraft which attacked Rotterdam aerodrome in May, 1940. After the attack, the formation was engaged from astern by twelve Messerschmitt 110's. Corporal Holmes displayed coolness and initiative in advising his pilot how best to manoeuvre his aircraft to evade the enemy. Even when handicapped by petrol fumes from a tank burst by enemy action, he continued to give accurate information. His gallant conduct under intense fire was largely responsible for the pilot being able to take evasive action and to bring the aircraft safely home."
His pilot, P/O T N Hayes, was awarded an immediate DFC for his actions on the same raid, this citation adds further details and reads.. "This officer was pilot of one of six aircraft which attacked Rotterdam aerodrome in May 1940. In company with his commanding officer he destroyed a Junkers 52 on the aerodrome by machine-gun fire. Whilst climbing, after the dive, the formation was attacked by twelve Messerschmitt 110's. Flying Officer Hayes was unable to see the enemy aircraft himself, but he skilfully manoeuvred his aircraft on instructions from the air gunner. After a short while he sighted a Junkers 52 and although hard pressed by superior numbers of other enemy aircraft and with his own aircraft damaged, Flying Officer Hayes attacked the Junkers 52 with tenacity and determination until it was seen to go down with its port engine on fire. Breaking, off the engagement and skilfully evading his opponents he made for home but shortly encountered three Heinkel 111's. He courageously attacked with his remaining ammunition and succeeded in breaking up their formation before arriving safely at his base."
George Holmes received his commission on 19th August 1940 (with seniorty of 8th August 1940) to the rank of P/O on probation. He was still flying with 600 Squadron when this accident near Richmond occured in December 1940. How old he was or where he had lived before the War is not known.
My wife and I located the crash site in June 2007 in the area shown in the foreground of this photograph shown above. I re-visited the site in 2008 with Mr Alan Hudson and further fragmentary remains were located over a wide area. My thanks to historian Graham Sharpe for his input regarding the aircraft's true identity and to the RAF Museum, Hendon's staff for supplying the AM1180 copy and their help.
A Bristol part number found on one of the tiny pieces still at the crash site.