During the night of 25th / 26th August 1943 this aircraft was being flown on a night cross country training flight with 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit. At 03.40hrs the aircraft was landing at Topcliffe airfield with the port inner engine out of action and the propeller feathered. The trainee pilot lost control on touching down, the aircraft swung off the runway and collided with Halifax DT629 that was parked on the edge of the airfield.
Flight Engineer - Sgt William John Miller RCAF (R/91771), aged 25, of Sanford, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Fred Arthur Cook RAFVR (851872), aged 25, of Derby. Buried Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby. Died 29/08/1943.
Air Gunner - Sgt Wesley Earl McDonald RCAF (R/180883), aged 24, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Pilot - F/O Richard B Hermon RCAF (J/20209), of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Navigator - F/O Thomas Edward Beaman RAFVR (136366), of Castleford, West Yorkshire.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Gerald Gold (1339675), of Manor Park, London.
Air Gunner - Sgt Victor Reginald Crane RCAF (R/165104), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Wesley McDonald was born on 30th September 1918 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Earle Wesley and Mary McDonald (nee Hodgins). His father died before 1942 and his mother later moved to St.Walburg, Saskatchewan by the time Wesley enlisted for RCAF service. He began working for the Ottawa Car and Aircraft Ltd as a riviter from 1939 to 1942 involved in manufacturing military aircraft. He had initially enlisted into the Canadian Navy in Ottawa on 15th June 1942 but failed an admittance test so re-enlisted for RCAF service in Ottawa on 11th August 1942. He was awarded his Air Gunner's badge around the middle of April 1943. Leaving Canada he sailed for the UK from New York on 4th May 1943 arriving in the UK a week later. He was then posted for further training at 24 OTU on 25th May 1943 and later to 1659 HCU on 6th August 1943.
William Miller was born William Odynak on 20th August 1917 at Winnipegosis, Manitoba, Canada and was the son of Russian immigrants George and Clara (nee Nosai) Odynak. He was first fostered at a young age by George and Lily Miller and then lived at Sanford, Manitoba. At the age of seventeen he was then adopted George and Lily Miller through the Children's Aid Society and as a young man he worked on their family farm at Sanford. He enlisted for RCAF service on 31st January 1941 in Winnipeg to serve as an aero engine mechanic. After basic training he served at 10 EFTS at Dauphin from July 1941 until November 1942 when he remustered for aircrew duties and to train as a much needed flight engineer. His flight engineer training appears to be different than others I have looked at, most went to a School of Technical Training in the UK but he appears to have arrived in the UK in December 1942, posted straight to 428 Squadron on 3rd January 1943 but then to 1659 HCU on 3rd August 1943 having gained his flight engineer's flying badge two days earlier on 1st August 1943.
Fred Cook's grave in Nottingham Road Cemetery, Derby.
Thomas Beaman received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 4th December 1942 and was promoted to F/O six months later 4th June 1943 and to F/Lt on 4th December 1944. He completed his training but must have been transferred from 6 Group (which 1659 HCU was training aircrew for) to 4 Group and later served with 10 Squuadron. For service with 10 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 17th July 1945. This may have been the result of completing his second Tour of operations, the first being in 6 Group. The citation for his DFC states "Throughout numerous operational missions Flight Lieutenant Beaman has proved himself to be an outstanding navigator whose unfailing enthusiasm has done much to maintain the high standard of his crew. His targets have included the important and highly defended towns of Liepsig, Kiel and Stuttgart. In March 1944, whilst en route to Le Mans, his aircraft was attacked twice in the space of a few minutes by a Ju 88. As a result of the evasive action employed, the aircraft was driven some considerable distance from its course, but this officer coolly and skilfully directed the bomber to the target, which was successfully attacked. Flight Lieutenant Beaman's devotion to duty both in the air and on the ground has been worthy of the highest praise and has done much to ensure the successful completion of numerous missions." He died in 1987 and is buried in St Stephen's Churchyard, East Hardwick, Pontefract. I thank his son for contacting me in October 2017.
Richard Hermon served the War, he survived with 402 RCAF Squadron in 1949 and 1950 in Canada.
Victor Crane was born in 1919, he survived the War and married Dorothy Mae MacDonald in Canada in 1945 in Leaside, Toronto. He died in 1971 and is buried in Maitland Cemetery, Goderich, Ontario.