Halifax HR910 damaged in air, landed at Croft airfield.

On 12th September 1943 this 405 Squadron aircraft took off from Gransden Lodge airfield at 14.10hrs so the crew could undertake a cross-country training exercise, the planned route would use turning points of from base, to Bass Rock, Bradford and return to base. While flying in the Newcastle area at 14,000 feet the crew reported the starboard inner engine began vibrating and a couple of minutes later the whole propeller unit fell off. As it flew off it must have missed striking the fuselage. The aircraft was landed safely at Croft airfield without further damage at 16.07hrs. 405 Squadron were a Path Finding squadron by this date but this crew had not yet qualified for their pathfinding badges.

Air Historian Jim Corbett has located a police record that stated the engine and part of the three-bladed propeller landed near the village of Hartburn, Northumberland at around 15.25hrs but that one of the propeller blades on the propeller boss was missing. The third propeller blade had almost certainly broken off first and the damaged propeller then ran rough for a couple of minutes before the forces were too great and that too broke off the engine. September 1943 saw a number of similar accidents caused by very similar circumstances but sadly many of the others were more serious and saw the deaths of numerous aircrew. The problem seems to have stemmed around a Rotol type of propeller blade and the attachment to the propeller boss.

Pilot - P/O Allan Paul Campbell RCAF (J/21371).

Probable crew as follows...

Flight Engineer? - Sgt D J Leslie RAFVR (1804724).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Redhead RAFVR (1048952).

Navigator - Sgt Thomas Donald Gavin RCAF (R/130735).

Air Gunner? - P/O David Noel Thompson RCAF (J/26496).

Bomb Aimer - Sgt James Barry Dunne RCAF (R/149435).

Air Gunner - Sgt Bruce Clarke Cameron RCAF (R/65760).

On the night of 1st / 2nd January 1944 all of the above were flying 405 Squadron Lancaster JB737 on Ops to Berlin when the aircraft was shot down over northern France on the return flight. Two members of the crew survived to become PoW but five were killed. Those who died were buried at St.Pol War Cemetery, France where they still lie.

Allan Campbell was born on 25th January 1921 in Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada and was the son of Edward William and Nora Campbell. As a young man he worked for the Royal Bank of Canada in Montreal after leaving high school in 1938. He enlisted for RCAF service in Regina on 17th May 1941 and after training as a pilot in Canada he was awarded his pilot's wings and also a receiving a commission on 4th December 1942. He arrived in the UK in early 1943 and over the coming months would train at 3 (P)AFU, 1519 BAT Flight, 22 OTU and 1664 HCU. He was posted to 405 Squadron on 6th August 1943.

Bruce Cameron was born on 9th April 1918 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Angus Charles and Elizabeth Kenny Cameron. As a young man he had undertaken various jobs, latterly working for his father's electrical contracting business. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 6th June 1940 and was quickly trained as an air gunner. He then served with 5 Squadron RCAF, 116 Squadron RCAF and 11 Squadron RCAF in Canada flying anti-submarine patrols between August 1940 and December 1942. In March 1943 he left Canada for service in the UK and after training at 22 OTU and 1664 HCU he was posted to 405 Squadron also on 6th August 1943.

James Dunne was born on 6th January 1920 in Golden, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of James and Annie Eveleen (nee Barry) Dunne. His father owned a farm and after leaving high school he worked on the family farm. He enlisted for RCAF service in Calgary on 27th February 1942 and after training in Canada he was awarded an air bomber's flying badge on 20th November 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at 6 AOS, 22 OTU and 1664 HCU before posting to 405 Squadron on 6th August 1943 with the rest of this crew. He received a commission on 13th December 1943.

Thomas Gavin was born on 18th January 1944 at Lloydminister, Saskatchewan, Canada and was the son of James and Jean (nee Cummings) Gavin. The family lived in Saskatchewan until he was eleven and then moved to Edmonton, Alberta. After leaving high school he studied at business college before starting work clerk / book keeper. He enlisted for RCAF service in Edmonton on 2nd October 1941 and trained as a navigator, receiving his air navigator's flying badge on 14th August 1942. He arrived in the UK in November 1942 and over the coming months trained at 4 AOS, 22 OTU and 1664 HCU. He (and the rest of this crew) was posted to 405 Squadron on 6th August 1943. He received a commission on 17th October 1943.

Back to monthly table.