Wellington HF494 near Yearsley, Easingwold.
This crew of this Wellington were carrying out an air test on the aircraft on 19th July 1943 when the port side propeller struck a tree near Oulston, north east of Easingwold. The port engine was then feathered but the pilot had no option but to force-land the aircraft which he did near Close House Farm, between Yearsley and Crayke at 11.45hrs. The flight had lasted for thirty minutes. The force-landing seriously damaged the aircraft. It was stated that the pilot was carrying out unauthorised low flying when he struck the tree.
Wellington HF494 was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Chester and was delivered to 51 MU on 14th May 1943. It was taken on charge by 432 Squadron at Skipton on Swale on 5th June 1943. It was slightly damaged by flak on the night of 3rd / 4th July 1943 and must have been immediately repaired on site. During the airtest in which it then crashed on 19th July 1943 was probably being made after the repairs following the repair. It was written off following this incident with Cat.E2/FA damage being recorded following assessment.
Pilot - Sgt Donald Arthur Rae RCAF (R/114537), of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Probable crew...
Navigator - F/O Geoffrey Vernon Holmes RAFVR (129368), of Sale, Cheshire.
Air Bomber/Observer - P/O David Thomas Lyng RCAF (J/19590), of Montreal, Canada. OR Union Mills, New Brunswick, Canada?
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Edward Frederick Howe RAFVR (1380267), of Gidea Park, Romford, Essex.
Rear Gunner - WO2 Williard Henry Hoppus RCAF (R/105586), of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.
A superb photograph of David Lyng, the photograph was found on the internet and uploaded by his nephew Mr David Courtemanche.
Williard Hoppus was born on 1st August 1918 in Alix, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Clarence Leroy and Lottie Amanda Hoppus (nee Erickson). He and his parents were living in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada when he enlisted. He enlisted for RCAF service on 19th May 1941 in Edmonton, Alberta and after basic training in Canada was awarded his Wireless Operator badge on 14th August 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at 22 OTU before posting to 427 Squadron on 20th Febuary 1943. He was later posted to 432 Squadron on 1sy May 1943.
Geoffrey Holmes' birth was registered in Chorlton, Lancashire in 1921. He attended Sale High School and Manchester Grammar School and was employed by the Yorkshire Insurance Company when he joined the RAFVR. He received a commission on 17th August 1942 to P/O on probation (emergency), he rose to F/O (war subs) on 23rd January 1943. CWGC list his age as being twenty two years old when he died as a result of the loss of Lancaster DS740.
Donald Rae was the son of William and Elsie Rae and was born on 29th September 1922 in Regina, Saskatchewan. His mother was born in Stockton on Tees, Durham, England. He enlisted into the RCAF on 10th July 1941 in Regina and was a student at the time but working part time in a department store. He gained his Wings in Canada in early 1942 and arrived in England in May 1942. Having trained at 12 (P)AFU (June to August 1942) and 22 OTU (begining 18th August 1942) his service record does not list where he was posted to next but he was eventually posted to 432 Squadron by July 1943. Where he was in the months in between is not yet known. He received his commission on 2nd July 1943. P/O Rae had a total of 292 flying hours to his name, with 110 being on the Wellington when this incident occurred on 19th July 1943 at Yearsley. He and his crew left 432 Squadron on 20th September 1943 to undertake their conversion training to fly the Lancaster at 1679 Heavy Conversion Flight, this was complete on 17th October 1943 and they returned to 432 Squadron ready to fly Lancasters at East Moor. He was involved in a battle damage incident in December 1943 (detailed on this website). P/O Rae and his crew were killed on 14th January 1944 while flying Lancaster DS740 on Ops to Brunswick and all were initially buried locally near Lagershausen at Imbshausen cemetery but now rest in Hannover War Cemetery. This final flight was P/O Rae's sixth with 432 Squadron on Lancasters and the aircraft's fourth. The incident detailed at the top of the page was Rae's third since returning to 432 Squadron after converting to Lancasters. His parents later moved to Vancouver.
