Whitley Z9155 near Allerthorpe, Pocklington.
On 13th October 1941 the crew of this 58 Squadron aircraft were returning from an operational flight to bomb to Nurnburg. Because of the crashed Halifax L9579 which was burning near their base of Linton on Ouse the crew of this aircraft was diverted away and to land at Pocklington. The aircraft ran out of fuel before it could land and crashed to the south of the town near Allerthorpe at 04.57hrs and sadly all five airmen on board were killed. Other Linton based aircraft landed safely at Pocklington.
Whitley Z9155 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 5th September 1941. It was taken on charge by 58 Squadron later that month and based at Linton on Ouse. As a result of the accident near Pocklington on 13th October 1941 Cat.E2/FB damage was recorded.
Pilot - Sgt Clive Gordon Lord RAAF (402127), aged 24, of Gemorne, New South Wales, Australia. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Second Pilot - Sgt Hugh Edwin Donson RCAF (R/71909), aged 21, of York Mills, Ontario, Canada. Buried Barmby Moor Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Observer - Sgt Joseph Geoffrey Rich RAAF (406044), aged 23, of South Perth, Western Australia. Buried Gelderd Road Hebrew Cemetery, Churwell, Leeds, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Henry Burns RCAF (R/64045). Of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Pocklington Burial Ground, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert Conroy Lee RAFVR (908627), aged 25, of North Tawton. Buried North Tawton Cemetery, Devon.
Hugh Donson and his grave at Barmby Moor Churchyard. Hugh was born on 25th April 1920 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was the son of John William and Margaret (nee Brown) Donson. Both his parents were born in Liverpool, England but had emigrated to Canada. The family were living in York Falls, Ontario by 1940 and Hugh had just finished at high school when he joined the RCAF, he had temporarily been working as a clerk in a grocers shop. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 3rd September 1940 and after training in Canada he was awarded his Pilot's Wings on 21st June 1941. On arrival in the UK he continued his training, receiving a posting to 10 OTU on 2nd August 1941 and he was then posted to 58 Squadron on 7th October 1941. He was undertaking his first operational flight when he died in the crash near Pocklington.
Clive Lord's gravestone at Barmby Moor Churchyard. He was born on 8th May 1917 in Rose Bay, New South Wales. Prior to enlisting into the RAAF on 27th May 1940 in Sydney he worked in a bank, after basic training in Canada he finished his training in the UK at 19 OTU, arriving there on 12th February 1941. Upon completion of this training he was posted to 35 Squadron on 20th April 1941 but transferred to 58 Squadron on 15th June 1941. He went for a weeks course a No.2 BAT Flight at the end of July 1941 and was posted back to 58 Squadron.
Sgt William Burns' gravestone in Pocklington Burial Ground, Yorkshire. William was born on 30th July 1919 at Halifax, Nova Scotia and was the son of Frank Godwin and Mary Margaret (nee Connors) Burns. As a young man he worked as a ledger keeper for the Canada Permanent Mortgage Corporation. He enlisted for RCAF service on 27th May 1940 in Halifax and undertook wireless operator / air gunner training in Canada, he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge before the end of 1940. Arriving in the UK in early 1941 he trained at 12 O.T.U., 1 S.S. and 19 O.T.U. before posting to 58 Squadron on 22nd July 1941. It is likely that he was buried here and not at Barmby Moor because he was Roman Catholic and this was the nearest burial ground for the Catholic faith.
Joseph Rich was born on 19th May 1918 in York, Western Australia. He enlisted in Perth. Similar to Sgt William Burns' case, he was probably buried where he was because this was the nearest Jewish cemetery. Sadly much of this cemetery is very neglected and overgrown with weeds.
