Defiant N1568 near Thorp Arch.
On 26th April 1941 the crew on board this 54 Operational Training Unit aircraft were undertaking a night training exercise when they were attacked at 02.08hrs by an enemy Junkers Ju88,
piloted by Lt Rudolf Pfeiffer of NJG2. Although some distance from Church Fenton the Defiant was in it's landing circuit. The pilot attempted to evade the
enemy night-fighter by flying low but hit trees two hundred yards south of Thorp Arch church, crashed nearby and was destroyed by fire. Sadly the two
airmen in the Defiant were killed as a result of this incident.
Pilot - Sgt Frederick Charles Eric Crozier RAFVR (908262), aged 20, of Standon. Buried Standon Churchyard, Hertfordshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt George Bell RAF(Aux) (802438), aged 29, of Paisley. Buried Paisley (Hawkhead) Cemetery, Scotland.
In April 2007 Mr David Crozier, the brother of the pilot killed in this crash was instrumental in a memorial been erected and dedicated in Thorp Arch church. I thank him for contacting me and for the information he was able to provide and for the photograph of F/Sgt Bell shown above. I visited the cemetery in 2013 and located his grave on a very wet day.
The memorial plaque in Thorp Arch Church.
Historians Ken Reast, Eric Barton and Albert Pritchard located the site in September 1999, with permission from the landowner, which confirmed the precise location.
Defiant N1568 was built to contract 751807/38 by Boulton & Paul Ltd. at Wolverhampton and was awaiting collection in June 1940. After a short
period of storage it was taken on charge by 141 Squadron at Prestwick the following month as a replacement for aircraft lost earlier in the month
during the Battle of Britain. On 30th August 1940 it moved with the unit to Turnhouse and in September 1940 it transferred to 264 Squadron at Kirton
in Lindsey as a replacement aircraft for those lost in August 1940 also as a result of the Battle of Britain. It moved with the unit to Rochford on
29th October 1940 but by the end of 1940 the aircraft had been transferred to 54 O.T.U. at Church Fenton along with a further 23 Defiants for training duties.
Cat.E/2/FB Burnt damage was recorded following the accident on 26th April 1941 at Thorp Arch.