On Sunday, 19th December 1943 the crew of this 433 Squadron aircraft took off at 11.50hrs from Skipton on Swale airfield for a familiarization flight around the general area of the airfield combined with a basic circuits and landings exercise. As the aircraft left the ground it climbed to around 100 feet from the ground but both starboard engines were seen to stop, the aircraft rolled onto its back and then crashed inverted onto the top of Halifax HX277 that was parked on the edge of the airfield and was having it's engines run-up. Unfortunately the team of ground crew working on HX277 could not get clear of the crashing aircraft and one of their number was sadly killed. Five members of the crew of Halifax HX245 also died in the crash that resulted, given in a police record as being around a mile west of the aerodrome entrance (effectively on the River Swale side the airfield). A fire took hold and destroyed both aircraft. This flight was the first solo take-off the pilot had made in a Halifax MkIII aircraft; he would have trained on Merlin-powered aircraft, not Bristol Hercules ones.
Pilot - F/Sgt Peter Robert Humphrys RCAF (R/140397), aged 22, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/G/15).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Harry Gilbert Buxton RAFVR (1850646), aged 19, wife of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/G/16).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Harry Lewis Miller RCAF (R/165173), aged 30, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/G/14).
Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Neville Lake RCAF (R/190919), aged 19, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/G/13).
Air Gunner - Sgt Leonard David Griese RCAF (R/163282), aged 20, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/G/12).
Fitter - Cpl Wilfred Martin Joseph O'Connor RCAF (R/89111), aged 23, of Mattawa, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/G/11).
Kenneth Lake was born on 2nd June 1924 at Maidenstone, Kent, England and was the son of Sydney and Helen (nee Friend) Lake. The family emigrated to Toronto, Canada while he was of school age. His father would serve as a chef in the Canadian Army during WW2. Kenneth enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 11th September 1942 and after training was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 6th August 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 24 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 433 Squadron on 9th December 1943.
Peter Humphrys was born on 10th January 1921 at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of Noel annd Kathleen (nee Higgins) Humphrys. After leaving school he worked as a maintenance engineer for the Trans-Canadian Airlines. He enlisted for RCAF service in Calgary on 10th December 1941 for aircrew duties and would train as a pilot, receiving his pilot's wings on 22nd January 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 18 (P)AFU, 24 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 433 Squadron on 8th December 1943.
Harry Miller was born on 6th January 1913 at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and was the son of Isaac and Mary Ellen (nee Boyd) Miller. The family moved to Toronto before 1921 and he went to school there. He was working as a freeland commercial artist when he enlisted for RCAF service on 29th April 1942 and had initially undertaken navigator training but later switched to bomb aiming training. He received his air bomber's flying badge on 30th April 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 6 (O)AFU, 24 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 433 Squadron on 9th December 1943. He was an old man in terms of RCAF aircrew ages.
Leonard Griese was born on 23rd January 1923 at Pembroke, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Robert Carl and Lena Charlotte (nee Schroeder) Griese. He enlisted for RCAF service on 9th October 1942 at Toronto and after training was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 23rd July 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 433 Squadron on 9th December 1943.
Harry Buxton's grave at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery with his Canadian crew mates buried alongside him.