Halifax DT779 at Pocklington airfield.
At 18.29hrs on 26th February 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were about to set out from Pocklington airfield for a mine-laying flight but the aircraft swung on take off, the aircraft headed towards the hangers. The pilot reduce power to the engines but the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft was badly damaged.
Halifax DT779 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Pocklington on 29th January 1943. It was written off following the mishap at Pocklington on 26th February 1943 with Cat.E/FA damage being recorded. The aircraft was struck off charge on 12th March 1943.
Pilot - WO2 James Livingston Lee RCAF (R/68499).
Navigator - Sgt George Arthur Jones RAFVR (1094912).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Noel Underwood RAFVR (1267926).
Air Gunner - Sgt Frank Morley Traynor RAFVR (1055872).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Ronald McTavish Mather RAFVR (947323).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt James Kenneth Campbell RAFVR (1065510).
Air Gunner - Sgt Bertram Charles John White RAFVR (1339032).
James Lee was born 22nd October 1913. WO2 Lee, Sgt Traynor and Sgt Jones were also later posted to 35 Squadron, on the night of 29th / 30th May 1943 they
were flying in Halifax HR833 on Ops to Wuppertal when the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter and exploded over Hoogstraten, Belgium. Five of the crew were killed including Sgt Traynor and WO Lee but two survived by parachute including Sgt Jones. Those who died were later buried Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium. Sgt Jones survived and was
hidden for three months by a M. & Mme. Spitals of 106 Lindenhof, Hoogstraten, but he was captured in Brussels with his helpers and they were imprisoned for nine months for helping Sgt Jones evade capture. Sgt Jones finished the War as a PoW but his first christian name is not yet known.
Sgt Mather survived the crash of Halifax HR803 near St.Neots on 24th July 1943 while serving with 35 PFF Squadron.
He was still serving with 35 Squadron on 27th September 1943 and flying Ops to Hannover in Halifax HR907, the aircraft
was shot down and he became a PoW, all of his then crew were very experienced airmen.
F/Sgt Underwood was later posted to 97 Squadron and killed on 22nd November 1943 in Lancaster JB227 flying Ops to
Berlin. Nothing was heard of the aircraft and it was lost without trace. F/Sgt Underwood is commemorated on the Runnymede
Memorial, he was twenty two years old.
Sgt Campbell and Sgt White were still with 102 Squadron when they were killed flying Ops to Stettin on 20th / 21st April
1943 in Halifax DT747 which crashed in Denmark. Both are buried Esbjerg Cemetery, Denmark.
