Halifax DT696 near Stillingfleet.
On the night of 14th / 15th February 1943 the crew of this 158 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to Cologne and they took off from base of Rufforth at 18.16hrs. Soon after taking off the one of the aircraft's port engines failed. The aircraft was heavily loaded and because the forward speed was still fairly slow the pilot appears to have considered a forced landing. The bombs were jettisoned near Appleton Roebuck in open country but, because the flying speed was low and the bomb doors were opened, the aircraft stalled soon after the bomb load was jettisoned. The crash occurred at 18.30hrs just to the west of Stillingfleet sadly killing the whole of the crew.
Pilot - F/O Gerald Bevill Herbert RAFVR (116456), aged 20, of Theale. Buried Theale Churchyard, Berkshire.
Navigator - F/O Reginald Flood RAFVR (124712), aged 26, of Staveley. Buried Staveley Cemetery, Derbyshire.
Navigator - Sgt Arthur Bruce Langeland RAFVR (1260753), aged 26, of Staines. Buried Staines (London Rd) Cemetery, Middlesex.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Sidney William Cains RNZAF (NZ.405472), aged 24, of Kerikeri, Auckland, New Zealand. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Rust Mace RAFVR (1225368), aged 29, of Brundall. Buried North Walsham New Cemetery, Norfolk.
Air Gunner - Sgt Dennis Booker RAFVR (610543), aged 22, of Wybunbury. Buried Wybunbury Churchyard, Cheshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt William Ruth RAFVR (1074263), aged 21, of Barrow in Furness. Buried Barrow in Furness Cemetery, Lancashire.
Their father Philip Herbert was one of the earliest members of the RFC and obtained his RAeC Certificate in July 1912.
Sidney Cains was the son of Richard Wall Cains and Gertrude Elizabeth Cains of Kerikeri, New Zealand.
On 14th February 2008 a memorial plaque in remembrance of this crew and incident was dedicated inside Stillingfleet church through the efforts of local lady Yvonne Clarke. The her efforts and that of aviation historians David Thompson and (now late) Eddie Fell families of the crew were traced. The plaque was unveiled by the President of 158 Squadron Association Mr H.N."Bluey" Mottershead and Mr Fell did a speech at the dedication service on behalf of the 158 Squadron Association. A second memorial stone was also placed close to the crash site at the same time but was mistakenly moved to a nearby farm soon after where is still believed to be located. The photograph shown below is of this second memorial as photographed by Eric Barton.
An overview of the crash site.
I searched for the crash site with Ken Reast, David Thompson, Eric Barton and Albert Pritchard in September 2008. Our first visit yielded nothing aircraft related. Two weeks later I was unable to attend but the others located small remains of the aircraft in a different area to that which we had previously searched. Without the help and permission of the land owner Mr John Daniel the site may not have been located and we are most appreciative of his help. The above photograph shows a part with an "EEP" inspection stamp, this refers to the English Electric company, of Preston (Samlesbury); the company who made Halifax DT696.
Halifax DT696 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 158 Squadron at Rufforth on 22nd December 1942. It was coded "-Q" and was used operationally on 9th January 1943, 14th January 1943, 23rd January 1943, 3rd February 1943 and 13th February 1943. As a result of the crash on 14th February 1943 Cat.E2/FB Burnt damage was the damage assessment. It was struck off charge on 26th February 1943.
Gerald Herbert was born in Kensington, London in 1923. He received a commission on 5th December 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and rose to F/O on probation
(war subs) on 1st October 1942. He was from a hughly military family, his father was the late A/Cdr Philip L W Herbert CMG CBE, who died in 1936, and his three sons were destined for flying careers. Sadly for their surviving mother the three brothers were all killed during the War and all were pilots. F/O Philip Herbert RAFVR died on 26th January 1942 whilst flying with 1PRU and he is buried in a joint grave with his brother Gerald. Another brother F/O Richard Herbert RAF died whilst serving with 211 Squadron on 13th April 1941, he is buried at Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece. All three brothers are commemorated on the Lydford village War Memorial, Devon.
Reginald Flood received a commission on 22nd June 1942 to P/O on probation (emergency) and rose to F/O on probation on 22nd December 1942. CWGC is therefore incorrect in stating his rank was P/O at the time of his death. This error unfortunately found its way onto the memorial plaque.
Sgt Langeland was posted from 35 Squadron to 158 Squadron on 5th February 1943.
