Wellington HE153 near Warter Priory.

On the night of 14th / 15th February 1943 the crew of this 466 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to Cologne and took off from Leconfield at 18.25hrs, they bombed the target area at 20.20hrs and made for home. On the return leg the crew were having difficulty in manipulating the fuel cocks and before they could land the fuel in the selected tanks ran low, the engines began to cut out and the aircraft lost height, it eventually struck trees in the grounds of Warter Priory just after midnight. One of the crew died and the other four sustained serious injuries.

Wellington HE153 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in November 1942. It was taken on charge by 466 Squadron at Driffield, probably on 26th November 1942 when their first batch arrived. The date it arrived is not listed on the aircraft's AM Form 78. 466 Squadron moved to Leconfield on 27th December 1942. As a result of very minor damage on 21st January 1943 Cat.A/FB was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site with it returned to 466 Squadron. On 15th February 1943 it crashed near Warter Priory on return from an operational flight to Cologne which killed one of the then crew, Cat.E/FB damage was recorded and it was written off.

Pilot - F/Sgt William Richard Martin RAAF (404837). Injured.

Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Jeffrie Robson RAFVR (1109207), aged 29. Buried Winlaton Churchyard and Hookergate, Co.Durham.

Bomb Aimer - Sgt John Forbes Loudon RAFVR (1554367). Injured.

Navigator - P/O Harold James Stephen Harmer RAFVR (125642). Injured.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Basil Dunstan Hall RAFVR (1179843). Injured.

Joseph Robson, photograph via Paul Dixon and originally shown on the superb website "www.halifaxlv827.co.uk". Sgt Robson was buried at St Patrick's Churchyard in High Spen, County Durham not at Winlaton Churchyard. Winlaton is three miles from the actual location of their graves. In the 1970s the St Patrick's Churchyard suffered from subsidence and land slippage. Sadly all the gravestones were removed and destroyed but the graveyard was made stable, landscaped and then grassed. In the 1960s an engraved stone was placed on a wall of Hookergate Cemetery, a civil cemetery on land ajoining the church. This plaque carries the names of the War-dead buried at Winlaton. My thanks to Mr Brian Pears for much of this information and for the photos of the memorial shown above. The Sgt Timmins listed below Sgt Robson's name on the memorial was killed in a flying accident on the North Yorkshire Moors when Halifax EB181 crashed near Kepwick Bank.

Harold Harmer was probably born in the Watford area in 1910. He received his commission on 5th July 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 5th January 1943 and to F/Lt (War Subs) on 5th July 1944. After his time with 466 Squadron he was later posted to 158 Squadron, for service with them he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 4th August 1944, the citation reads.. "This officer has completed a large number of sorties, many of them against heavily defended targets. He is a navigator of high merit whose coolness, determination and ability in difficult and dangerous situations have set an inspiring example. His record is worthy of high praise." Post War he remained in the RAFVR until relinquishing his commission on 24th January 1948 when he was appointed to a commission in the Secretarial Branch of the Royal Auxillery Air Force as F/O on the same date with seniority of 2nd December 1947. Post-War he served with 601 Aux Squadron. He was promoted to F/Lt on 15th January 1952 and finally relinquished his commission of F/Lt on 24th January 1963. He probably died in Honiton, Devon in 1987.
William Martin was born on 6th January 1921 at Atherton, Queensland and was working in farming when he enlisted into the RAAF on 6th December 1940 in Brisbane. After basic training and gaining his Wings he arrived in the UK in October 1941. He trained at 27 OTU on arrival in the UK from November 1941 and was placed on attachment to 12 BATF in the same month for a week, he later trained with 20 OTU beginning 4th May 1942 and on completion of the course was posted to 460 Squadron on 20th June 1942. He was later posted to 466 Squadron on 14th December 1942. Following the accident near Warter Priory he was first admitted to Driffield airfield sick quarters before being transferred to Fulford miltary hospital in York and later to Rauceby. Upon recovery he was posted back to 466 Squadron on 28th March 1943. He received his commission on 24th April 1943. For service with 466 Squadron he was awarded the, Gazetted after he had left the unit on 14th September 1943 and refers to the accident at Warter Priory. The citation reads..

"Throughout his operational career, P/O Martin has displayed impressive courage and quiet determination. He has efficiently attacked a wide variety of enemy targets and flown on mine-laying operations. Although seriously injured in a crash, upon his recovery this officer resumed operational flying with undiminished enthusiasm and has since taken part in sorties against many heavily defenced objectives in the Ruhr area. At all times his conduct has been highly commendable." He had been posted to 27 O.T.U. on 13th JUly 1943 for instructional duties where he remained until December 1944 when he was posted back to Australia and received his discharged on 3rd July 1945.

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