Unidentified Wellington at Dishforth airfield.
On 27th April 1943 this 426 Squadron aircraft was having it's engines run-up as part a servicing routine by members of a ground-crew team. LAC Langdale was checking one of the engines when he accidently walked into the rotating port propeller. Seriously injured he was taken to Harrogate General Hospital where he sadly died nine hours later on 27th April 1943.
Air Frame Mechanic - LAC Frank Langdale RCAF (R/157801), aged 24, of Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada. Buried Wolsingham Churchyard, Co.Durham.
Pilot of aircraft - Sgt Frederick John Stuart RAF (658038). Later awarded the CGM, Gazetted 19th November 1943.
Frank Langdale was born on 1st April 1919 at Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada and was the son of Harry and Isobella (nee Wilkinson) Langdale. Both his parents were born in Durham,
England but emigrated to Canada before Frank was born. The family had moved to Wildwood, Alberta by 1925 when he started school there and in 1934 he started work at the family farm at Mayerthorpe, Alberta. He was living and working for a construction company in Vancouver by the time he enlisted for RCAF service in 1942 and at that time his parents were living in Victoria, British Columbia though later moved back to Mayerthorpe. Frank enlisted in Vancouver on 27th March 1942 for ground duties, specifically to serve as an airframe mechanic in the RCAF. After basic RCAF training he was posted to the UK in March 1943 and arrived at 426 Squadron by the end of the month. He was also the nephew of Mr.J.Langdale, of Norton-on-Tees which probably explains why he was buried where he was in Co.Durham; where his parents had lived prior to emigrating.