Wellington HE588 at Dishforth airfield.
On 23rd March 1943 an aircraft is referred to in police records as having crashed near the Thirsk to Boroughbridge road at 22.07hrs, the aircraft sustained damage to it's undercarriage but the crew of five escaped injury. The location for the incident is not known but it was possibly in the Dishforth area which falls on the Thirsk to Boroughbridge road.
Also on this night 426 Squadron flew mine laying operational flights to the Frisian Islands, only one of the aircraft returned to Dishforth because of poor weather and the one aircraft, Wellington HE588, overshot the runway and ran through the boundary hedge. It came to rest with the starboard undercarriage and mainplane damaged. Both these incidents almost certainly relate to the same event. Hugh Halliday has located an account of the incident the pilot gave, stating... "On return from an operational flight I approached to land in bad visibility. I misjudged and never touched down until I was almost to the fourth flare. Owing to the wet conditions of the field my brakes were not as effective as I expected. Unable to stop in time I overshot the field caused damage to the aircraft. The aircraft wad normal in every way previous to the landing." The other returning Wellingtons landed at Linton on Ouse or Pocklington.
Pilot - S/Ldr Charles Stuart Dowie DFC RCAF (J/6008).
Second Pilot - Sgt Richard Earl Todd RCAF (R/126792).
Navigator - Sgt H Martin RCAF (R/136325).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt John Franklin Gubb RCAF (R/145232).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J Taylor RAFVR (1128679).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Arthur Bailey RCAF (R/141776).
The last named five were flying Wellington BJ762 on Ops to Bochum on 29th / 30th March 1943 when it was shot down by a night fighter. Martin and Taylor became PoWs while Todd, Gubb and Bailey were killed.
Charles Dowie was awarded the DFC for service with 408 Squadron, Gazetted on 4th August 1942. After serving as an instructor with 26 OTU he was posted to 426 Squadron to begin a second Tour. In May 1943 he was repatriated to Canada where he became Commanding Officers at a repatriation depot and release centres. He died in 1990.
Wellington HE588 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in February 1943. It was received by 28 MU on 9th February 1943 and was taken on charge by 426 Squadron at Dishforth on 1st March 1943. As a result of damage sustained on 23rd March 1943 the aircraft's AM Form 78 states that it only sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage but as it doesn't appear to have ever returned to 426 Squadron use it seems more likely that Cat.B/FB damage resulted, possibly after a further damage assessment which would have seen it taken away for a repair in a works factory. The aircraft next appears being taken on charge by 82 O.T.U. at Ossington on 19th August 1943. It was slightly damaged at Catfoss on 5th September 1943 before a repair and being transferred to 86 O.T.U. at Gamston just after the unit formed in June 1944. On 15th October 1944 it was taken on charge by 11 A.G.S. at Andreas but was converted to Ground Instructional Airframe 4898M on 21st October 1944, possibly at Andreas for use by 11 A.G.S.. The aircraft was eventually struck off charge on 13th February 1947.