During the evening of 3rd October 1943 the crew of this 18 O.T.U. aircraft took off from Finningley airfield to undertake an evening training flight that would last just short of two hours. At 20.35hrs the aircraft was on the approach to land back at Finningley but was flying on just one engine, the aircraft did not then land but overshot to fly an circuit of the airfield and make a second approach to land. As it began to overshoot it's nose then pitched up, the aircraft stalled then dived into the ground near the airfield. Sadly all on board was killed in the crash. The aircraft had arrived at 18 OTU on 17th September 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Thomas William Hodgson Dalziel RAFVR (1432841), aged 20, of Headingley, Leeds. Buried Finningley Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Navigator - Sgt William Baird Jarvie RAFVR (1344192), aged 21, of Whifflet. Buried Old Monkland Cemetery, Lanarkshire.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Edgar Farrer RAFVR (29), aged 29, of Broxburn. Buried Uphall Cemetery, West Lothian.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Murray Cohen RAFVR (1235344), aged 21, of Bolton, Lancashire. Buried Gelderd Road (Hill Top) Jewish Cemetery (New Briggate/UHC, Leeds, Yorkshire. Grave site no longer accessible).
Air Gunner - Sgt Louis Lazarus RAFVR (1611281), aged 22, of Bethnal Green. Buried East Ham Jewish Cemetery, London.
Thomas Dalziel's gravestone at Finningley.
The sad state of the desecration and vandalism of many Jewish cemeteries in England often mean that Jewish wargraves in larger Jewish cemeteries are either locked to prevent unwanted visitors or are very overgrown. In the case of Murray Cohen, his grave is in the Hill Top Cemetery, off Gelderd Road, Leeds. This cemetery is inaccessible because of coal mining subsidence and is fenced off to prevent access. It is no longer tended by the CWGC and a special memorial is in the process of being created.