On the night of 13th / 14th October 1942 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were to undertake an operational flight to Kiel and left Pocklington at 18.25hrs. Outbound the starboard outer engine was failing, the rear turret became unservicable and the aircraft lost radio communications so the crew opted to return to base. They were unable to jettison their bomb load and at 19.45hrs the aircraft overshot the runway at Pocklington, while attempting to go around again it stalled, being overweight it crashed. The crew scrambled clear but the aircraft caught fire due to some of the incendiary bombs igniting.
Halifax W1167 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury. The aircraft was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Topcliffe on 17th June 1942 and moved to Pocklington with 102 Squadron on 7th August 1942. The aircraft was destroyed as a result of the damage at Pocklington on 13th October 1942. Cat.E2/FB Burnt damage being the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 19th October 1942.
Pilot - F/Sgt James Leslie Hartshorn RAF (655162).
Navigator - Sgt John Alexander Trager Simpson RCAF (R/69209).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Alfred Norman Conner RCAF (R/88546), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bomb Aimer? - Sgt Lawrence Irving Neil RAFVR (1055567?).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Olaf William Forland RCAF, of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Kenneth White RAF (575851).
Air Gunner? - Sgt J B Bell.
Of those listed above, Simpson and White were involved in a second more serious incident with 102 Squdtadron on 24th October 1942 when Halifax W1181 landed on top of Halifax DT512 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield killing two other airmen in the aircraft.
F/Sgt Hartshorn and WO Conner were killed on 14th February 1943 flying in Halifax W7880 which was shot down by a night-fighter over Holland on Ops to Cologne. They were both twenty two years old and are buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Holland.
Alfred Conner was born on 30th April 1920 in Swansea, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Alfred Noel and Mary (nee Wilson) Conner. Upon leaving school he began working as a mechine operator for the Steel Co. of Canada in 1936 and was still employed in this job when he left to enlist for RCAF service in Toronto on 30th December 1940. After training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's badge on 17th January 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at No.1 Signal School and 22 OTU before posting to 102 Squadron on 16th July 1942.
F/Sgt Forland was later posted to 426 Squadron and on 13th May 1943 he was flying in Wellington HE905 when the aircraft was shot down by flak on Ops to Duisburg, he was able to evade capture after reaching Gibraltar two months later.
John Simpson was born in London, England in 1914 but had moved to North Bay, Ontario when he enlisted in October 1940 and had completed his training in Canada in November 1941. He flew in the 25th / 26th June 1942 Thousand Bomber raid while at 22 OTU. He received a commission in December 1942 and was posted to 109 Squadron in early 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with 109 Squadron in May 1944, and later the Bar to the DFC in October 1944.