Wellington HE476 near Edenthorpe, Barnby Dun.
On 27th April 1943 the crew of this 431 Squadron aircraft were returning from an operational flight to attack on Duisburg when an engine cut out, the aircraft crashed in the process of making a forced landing at Barnby Dun at 05.15hrs. All on board survived. Lindholme airfield's medical team were called to the site and recorded that the crew were uninjured apart from one of the crew who had a large bruise on his forehead.
Pilot - Sgt John Reynoldson RCAF, of Chamberlain, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Navigator - Sgt Lester Royce Cudmore RCAF (R/117037), of Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario, Canada.
Navigator / Bomb Aimer - Sgt Gordon James Crebbin RCAF (R/128786), of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt G S Storey RAFVR (1198768).
Air Gunner - Sgt Lennox Cameron Main RCAF (R/114861), of Abbey, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Gordon Crebbin was the son of Edward and Mabel Crebbin, of Vancouver and was born on 26th September 1921.
He was twenty two years old.
All of the above later converted to the Halifax type and returned to 431 Squadron. On the night
of 3rd / 4th October 1943 all were flying in Halifax LK925 on Ops to Kassel, the aircraft was attacked
by a night fighter and the crew were instructed to bale out. WO2 Crebbin and P/O Main sadly died but
P/O Reynoldson (J/19007), WO2 Cudmore and F/Sgt Storey survived and became PoW's. A memorial has since been erected
on the crash site near St.Viths, Belgium. WO2 Crebbin and P/O Main are buried in Hotton War Cemetery.
Lennox Main was the son of Norman Percival and Blanche Freeman Main, of Abbey, Saskatchewan and was
born on 12th January 1920. His father was born in Jamacia and was a farmer, his mother was born in Nova
Scotia. They were living in Abbey, Saskatchewan when Lennox was born. He enlisted into the Canadian Army on 19th May 1941 in Regina, Saskatchewan but on 25th July 1941 he transferred to the RCAF. He was twenty three years old when he died and appears to have received a commission posthumously and back-dated. Main Island in Saskatchewan is named in his honour.
John Reynoldson was born in 1917, married while stationed in the UK, his wife Mary Violet Thomas was born in South Wales in 1920 returned to Canada with him in 1946. He died in 1982 in Chamberlain, Saskatchewan.
Wellington HE476 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was flown to 33 MU at Lyneham on 15th January 1943. The aircraft was taken on charge by 431 Squadron at Burn on 14th March 1943. As a result of the crash on 27th April 1943 Cat.E2/FB damage was the damage assessment. It was struck off charge on 5th May 1943 having clocked up just 56 hours total flying time from new.