Halifax DG300 near Pocklington.
This 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being flown on a dual control training flight on 2nd June 1943, while a practice landing was being made at Pocklington airfield at 11.28hrs the aircraft stalled and crash landed around a mile west of Pocklington airfield near Spring House Farm. One member of the crew sustained injuries.
Instructor Pilot - Acting S/Ldr Michael William Renaut DFC RAFVR (114751).
Pupil Pilot - Sgt Gordon Sproat RAFVR (1219801).
Pupil Pilot - Sgt Ralph Owen Chester RAFVR (1214512).
? - Sgt Thomas Farnworth RAFVR (1231202). Injured.
He then appears part of the 76 Squadron group of airmen who formed 462 Squadron in North Africa. I read somewhere that all 462 Squadron personnel were posted back to the UK in December 1942 so if he was still there at that time then he probably returned to the UK then. He was later promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 10th July 1943 and to S/Ldr (war subs) on 22nd December 1944. Before the end of the war he flew with and was commanding officer of 171 Squadron. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1946, awarded the DFC (USA) Gazetted on 14th June 1946 and was offered a permanent commission in the rank of Wing Commander in October 1946. He died at the young age of just 44 in January 1964 but had written a book on his wartime experiences "Terror By Night" which was published in 1982.
Sgt Farnworth later received a commission and received the DFC for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th October 1944.
Sgt Sproat completed his training and was posted to 102 Squadronn. On the night of 27th / 28th August 1943 he was flying Halifax JB835 on Ops to Nurnberg when the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed in Belgium. One of his then crew survived but he and the rest of the crew were killed. He was initially buried locally but now lies in Heverlee War Cemetery. He was twenty years old.
Sgt Chester also completed his training and was then posted to 77 Squadron. On the night of 31st August / 1st September 1943 he was flying Halifax JD418 on Ops to Berlin when the aircraft crashed in Germany. He and five others were killed while two of his then crew became PoW's. He is buried in Berlin War Cemetery and was twenty one years old.
Michael Renaut was born in September 1920. He received his commission on 18th December 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 10th July 1942. He had flown with 78 Squadron and 76 Squadron early in the war and was awarded the DFC for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 11th August 1942, the citation for which reads.. "F/Lt Renaut is an outstanding captain of aircraft. His sorties include attacks on such targets as Frankfurt, Kiel, Cologne, Brest, Stettin and Essen he dew with distinction in both the night raids on the German naval base at Trondheim on April 27th and 28th, 1942. This officer has constantly been selected for special operations necessitating a high degree of skill and reliability; he has never failed to reach the highest expectations. His leadership and courage have been of a high order."