Halifax DT506 at Pocklington airfield.
During the 15th January 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft was tasked with an operational flight to bomb Lorient and took off from Snaith at 16.57hrs. On the return the aircraft was diverted to land at Pocklington because of poor weather at Snaith but with no flap control the aircraft overshot and the undercarriage collapsed at 23.23hrs. The aircraft was badly damaged, the crew escaped serious injury.
Pilot - Sgt Bruce Thomas Brett RAFVR (1312833).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Cyril Waring RAF (635944).
Navigator - Sgt Robert Kerr Guy RAFVR (1365885).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt John Alexander Daragon RAFVR (1321773).
Wireless Operator / Air Guner - P/O Leslie Gordon McCoy RAFVR (136722).
Air Gunner - Sgt Clifford Vandy RAFVR (1316342).
Air Gunner - Sgt Basil Raymond Fyfield RAFVR (1322336).
Halifax DT506 was built to contract B982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on 13th September 1942. In November 1942 103 Squadron began conversion to Lancaster's so this aircraft was transferred to 51 Squadron at Snaith on 1st November 1942. As a result of the damage sustained on 15th January 1943 Cat.E/FA damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on 2nd February 1943.
On 20th / 21st April 1943 Sgt's Brett, Waring and Vandy were flying Ops to Stettin in Halifax DT628, their aircraft was believed to have crashed into the North Sea. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Their aircraft was almost certainly shot down over Denmark but their remains were not identified and were buried in an unmarked grave in Bispebjerg, Denmark. In 2011 evidence suggested that these unidentified graves were probably this Sgt Brett's crew and the graves were to be re-named as Brett's crew. However, later in 2011 the Air Historial Branch changed their mind about the identity of the crew and it is not known whether the graves were ever re-named. The webpage "www.airmen.dk/p152ops.htm" has further details about this crew and incident with photographs of many of the crew sourced by 51 Squadron historian Mr Neil Smith.
Sgt Clifford Vandy was the son of Lieut.Comdr. Henry Vandy, O.B.E., R.N.R.
Sgt Robert Guy was killed flying Ops to Essen in Halifax DT738 on 3rd / 4th April 1943. He was thirty years old and is now buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Sgt John Daragon was killed flying Ops to Dusseldorf in Halifax DT721 on 27th / 28th January 1943. He was just nineteen years old and is buried in Eindhoven General Cemetery, Holland.
Sgt Basil Fyfield was killed flying Ops to Bochum in Halifax DT526 on 13th / 14th May 1943. He is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Leslie McCoy received a commission on 22nd November 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). P/O McCoy was involved in another accident just two weeks later when Halifax W1185 crashed at Burn airfield. He was later promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 22nd May 1943 and was transferred to the Admin and Special Duties Branch on 28th November 1944. He should have been promoted to F/Lt around this date is his promotions followed the usual pattern of RAFVR promotions but no record of this has been found.
I would direct anyone with an interest in 51 Squadron to Neil Smith's superb 51 Squadron website "www.51squadron.com". I am not trying to duplicate his website but have to include these 51 Squadron incidents in Yorkshire to complete my record.