Halifax W1276 at Pocklington airfield.

On the night of 16th / 17th September 1942 this crew were one of a number of 10 Squadron crews tasked with an operational flight to bomb Essen. The squadron were using Pocklington airfield at the time of this incident though were technically based at near by Melbourne. This aircraft took off from Pocklington at 20.42hrs but returned early to Pocklington early because of high fuel consumption and also in difficulty in climbing. The crew jettisoned their bomb load in the sea and landed at Pocklington at 00.10hrs but the brakes failed (because of hydraulic failure), the aircraft overshot the airfield, ran through the perimeter fence and came to rest on the main York to Hull road. The other returning Pocklington-based aircraft were diverted to East Moor airfield because of this damaged aircraft at the end of the runway at Pocklington that was deemed a hazard.

Pilot - S/Ldr(Acting W/Co) Wilfred Carter RAF (43164).

Navigator - Sgt Norman John Furlong RAFVR (1380269).

Bomb Aimer - P/O William Scott Muego RAFVR (133521)

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Patrick Gregory Keogh RAFVR (122064).

Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Raymond Curran RAFVR (1387664).

Flight Engineer - "Sgt C J Yewlett". (Probably Sgt Gerrard James Yewlett RAFVR (1380269)).

Rear Gunner - P/O William Burrows Vaughan-Davies RAFVR (101524).

Halifax W1276 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury. On 4th September 1942 it was taken on charge by 10 Conversion Flight at Melbourne but the following day was transferred to the parent 10 Squadron. As a result of the damage sustained on 17th September 1942 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site by a team from Handley Page. On completion of repair on 18th December 1942 it returned to 10 Squadron. On 29th January 1943 it sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage when a wing struck a tree when it was being taxied at Melbourne. The aircraft was again repaired on site and was returned to 10 Squadron on 6th March 1943. The aircraft was then transferred to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 2nd April 1943. On 14th March 1944 it swung on take off at Marston Moor and the undercarriage was retracted to stop it, the damage was deemed to have been too severe to warrant a repair and it was written off with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded. The aircraft was struck off charge on 21st March 1944.
Wilfred Carter was one of a small group of gentlemen who joined the RAF at the very bottom and rose to the top ranks during a lifetime of service. He was born on 5th November 1912 and joined the RAF in 1929. He received a commission on 1st April 1940 to the rank of P/O on probation and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 1st April 1941 and 20th November 1941 to F/Lt (war subs) and to S/Ldr (war subs) on 16th January 1943. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 14th January 1944. As Acting W/Co he was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 11th February 1944. Postwar he was appointed to a permanent commission in 1947 (backdated to 1st September 1945) and was promoted to W/Co on 1st July 1947 and to the rank of S/Ldr. He was later promoted to Group Captain on 1st January 1956, A/Cdr on 1st July 1960 and AVM on 1st July 1965. He was appointed to a C.B. on 1st January 1963. He left the RAF in 1967 and died in February 1999.
William Muego received a commissionon 8th September 1942 to P/O on probation and was promoted to F/O on probation on 8th March 1943. He was awarded the DFC as Acting F/Lt while serving with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 7th December 1943. By March 1944 he was in the rank of Acting F/Lt and had been posted to 35 Squadron PFF, on 24th March 1944 he was flying in Lancaster ND597 on Ops to Berlin, the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter and then exploded in the air. William Muego was thrown out and survived dispite serious injuries he became a PoW. While a PoW he was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 8th September 1944. Postwar he was a member of the RauxAF until reliquishing his commission on 23rd April 1959.
William Vaughan-Davies was granted a commission on 21st July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation, he awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 12th January 1943 and the citation reads.. "This officer is a skilful and experieced air gunner. He has displayed outstanding devotion to duty and, regardless of the five aircraft crashes in which he has been involved (on one occasion he had to swim a considerable distance to reach land), his keenness has remained undiminished. F/Lt Vaughan-Davies has participated in attacks on most of the enemy's heavily defended targets." He was later promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 20th July 1943. He left the RAF after the war but was re-called to service in February 1947 but transferred to the reserve on 9th September 1950.
Patrick Keogh received a commission on 23rd May 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 23rd November 1943. He was killed on 22nd October 1943 while flying on Ops to Kassel in Halifax JD315 when the aircraft crashed near the target area. He is buried in Hanover War Cemetery and was twenty three years old.
Norman Furlong received a commission on 10th March 1943 (142880) to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and rose to F/O on probation on 10th September 1943. By October 1943 he had been posted to 20 OTU at Lossiemouth almost certainly for instructional duties. On 9th October 1943 he was flying in Wellington HE283 on a cross country training flight, while over North Yorkshire the pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed near Kirkby Fleetham Hall, near Catterick with the loss of all but one of the crew. F/O Furlong was buried in Greenwich Cemetery, London, he was twenty one years old. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron but well after his death, Gazetted on 10th April 1945 (with effect from 8th October 1943). The citation reads "Since the commencement of his operational career, this officer has shown outstanding navigational efficiency. He has faced much adverse weather and enemy opposition with a fine spirit of determination. During an attack on (? illegible), his aircraft was repeatedly hit by the ground defences and so badly damaged that it crashed on landing. On another occasion, an enemy fighter was destroyed by his crew while on the way to attack Pilsen. This officer has faced other hazardous situations during recent raids on Hamburg and Saarbrucken. Throughout all these sorties he has completed his work as navigator with exceptional courage and ability."
Sgt Kenneth Curran was killed on 1st October 1942 while serving with 10 Squadron, he was flying Ops to Flensburg in Halifax BB207 which crashed in Germany. He is buried in Kiel War Cemetery and was just nineteen years old.
Sgt Yewlett's full identity is the only one of this crew yet to be fully identified, the squadron record book gives his name as "C.J.Yewlett" and he was probably serving with 10 Squadron in June 1942 when he survived the serious accident to Halifax W1158 at North Otterington near Northallerton. He flew very rarely with 10 Squadron. A Gerrard James Yewlett received a commission on 29th August 1944 (183780) to the rank of P/O on probation and was promoted to F/O on 1st March 1945 and is probably the correct airman. There were no "C.J.Yewlett"'s ever in the RAF.

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