Wellington W5435 near Minskip.
On the night of 2nd / 3rd September 1941 the crew of this 104 Squadron aircraft had left Driffield at around 19.30hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Frankfurt. This was one of nine 104 Squadron aircraft tasked with the operational order. Owing to poor weather, at 20.20hrs, a recall order was sent out to all crews, this was received by all of the 104 Squadron aircraft but owing to fog on their return to England the aircraft landed at various airfields. The crew of Wellington W5435 received the order to abort the flight and made for Yorkshire, they appear to have been trying to locate Dishforth airfield. In poor visibility and with the port engine having failed at 22.25hrs the aircraft crashed into trees near Thewitts Farm, Minskip, to the south-west of Boroughbridge possibly as the pilot was attempting a forced landing. The crew were injured and all were taken to Harrogate hospital for treatment to their minor injuries.
Wellington W5435 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in February 1941. It was received by 46 MU on 25th February 1941 after a period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 16th April 1941 just after the unit reformed at Driffield. As a result of the accident on 2nd September 1941 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 8th September 1941.
Pilot - P/O Robert Aubrey Alexander Doherty RAFVR (102594).
Second Pilot - P/O Philip Dawson RAF (68808).
Navigator - Sgt Kenneth Dudley Boyce RAFVR (743050).
? - Sgt John Williams RAFVR (940751).
Wireless Operator - Sgt William John Hegan RCAF (R/60855).
? - Sgt George Williams RAF(AAF) (818176).
For service with 104 Squadron Kenneth Boyce was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 7th July 1942 and the citation refers to the incident near
Dishforth; it reads.. "This airman has participated in 40 sorties, 22 of which were over Germany and occupied territory in France. On one
occasion, after a night raid on Brest, one engine of his aircraft caught fire in the air, and Sergeant Boyce was compelled to crash land.
While operating from Malta, he received multiple injuries when an engine failed when landing and his aircraft crashed. After his recovery,
he insisted on participating in further operations. During an attack on a convoy, Sergeant Boyce scored hits on a merchant vessel which
subsequently sank. he has on many occasions been responsible for successful attacks in most difficult conditions." He had enlisted into
the RAFVR in 1940 and was posted to 104 Squadron in 1941 after training. He was posted on detachment to Malta with 104 Squadron and later
to Egypt. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 8th October 1942 (134529) and was promoted to F/O
(war subs) on 8th April 1943 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 8th October 1944. He sadly died on 21st February 1946 in the Poole area of Dorset
and is buried in Northampton General Cemetery. He was thirty two years old.
Robert Doherty received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 7th August 1941. He was awarded the DFC for service with 104 Squadron (Gazetted on
24th October 1941). He was one airman who went out to North Africa with 104 Squadron's party in late -1941. He rose through the ranks and was later posted to 608 Squadron. On 23rd February 1945 as F/Lt he was killed and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was twenty seven years old.
Sgt Hegan would later recover from his injuries and be involved in a second accident in Yorkshire on 16th January 1942. Flying in Wellington W5493 with 104 Squadron the aircraft crashed onto the North Yorkshire Moors sadly killing a number of the crew. He was seriously injured and returned to Canada later in 1942. This second accident is detailed on my website here .
For service with 104 Squadron John Williams was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 21st November 1941. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 27th
April 1944 but by that time he was serving in the Technical Branch of the RAF. He rose to F/O on 7th March 1945.
Sgt George Williams was awarded the DFM for service with 104 Squadron in May 1942.
Philip Dawson joined the RAF in 1940 but before he trained as a pilot he was serving as a ground gunner when he shot down a Dornier
near Croyden on 31st August 1940. After pilot training he served with 104 Squadron in 1941 and was part of the contingent that served
in Malta and Eygpt. In June 1942 he was posted away from 104 Squadron, later serving with 142 Squadron and also acting as an instructor.