Halifax BB265 near Healaugh.
On 29th January 1943 this 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being flown on a basic night circuit training exercise but while in the air the starboard outer engine caught fire. The flight engineer cut off the fuel supply to the burning engine but the aircraft began to loose height and even though full power was then applied to the remaining three engines the aircraft crashed near Healaugh at 20.50hrs. Sadly two of the crew died as a result of this accident (they are listed first below). 60 MU later recovered the wreckage and described the task as being difficult possibly down to the boggy nature of the ground.
Pilot - Sgt James Leslie Downs RAFVR (1053593), aged 22, of Hale, Cheshire. Buried Altrincham Bowden and Hale Cemetery, Cheshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Lewis Rotheray RAFVR (1107777), aged 34, of Bradford, Yorkshire. Buried Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford, Yorkshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Robert Burns RAFVR (1232804). Injured.
Navigator - WO Frederick William Crawley RAFVR (759197).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Edward John Howell RAFVR (924608). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Roy Desmond Raven RAFVR (1271610). Sustained a broken arm.
Halifax BB265 was built to contract B.124357/40 by London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden and was received by 8 MU on 6th December 1942. The only unit the aircraft served with was 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor and it was taken on charge by them on 29th December 1942. As a result of the crash at Healaugh on 29th January 1943 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge.
James Downs was known by his middle name of Leslie, he attended Bradbury Central School in Cheshire and enlisted into the RAFVR in September 1939 and trained in Rhodesia arriving back in the UK in May 1940 to complete his training.
The navigator Frederick Crawley was later posted to 158 Squadron after his training and later awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron, he also later flew with 139 Squadron. I thank his son David Crawley for contacting me in January 2014 and for correcting a previous version of this webpage.
Sgt Raven would later complete his training and also be posted to 158 Squadron. Sadly on 26th July 1943 he was flying in Halifax JN884 when the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Essen after being shot down by a night fighter. Only one of the crew survived. He was twenty one years old and is buried at Wieringermeer General Cemetery, Holland. My thanks to his nephew Mr Stephen Raven for contacting me in September 2013 and for kindly supplying the full crew list shown above.