Wellington JA119 near Malton.
On 16th July 1943 this 432 Squadron aircraft was being test flown, probably after repairs, to carry out a height test. The crew left Skipton on Swale airfield at around 11.15hrs and
proceeded to climb to at least 12,000 feet in height. Some thirty four minutes into the flight the aircraft was over the Malton area and was seen by members of a Royal Observer
Corps post to enter a left hand turn and the dive vertically for around 4000 feet before breaking up and then exploding in mid air. The majority of the wreckage came to earth
to the west of Malton and in fields close to the southern end of what is known locally as Jackie Lyons Plantation and all on board were killed. The larger pieces of the
aircraft landed close to where the A64 Malton by-pass was built some thirty years later, the by-pass may have infact been cut through the main crash site. Other bits are known
to have fallen nearer the village of Broughton, in fields near to the middle of the 'Plantation' at the Swinton Grange side. A heavy guard was placed on the wreckage until
it was removed some days later.
I grew up less than a mile from the crash site but never knew what had happened here until I began my research. In 2004 I spoke to two witnesses to this incident, Mr Ray
Magson of Appleton le Street biked to the crash site as a young boy, whilst he did not actually witness the events his friends did and he recounted that it came to earth in
"a million pieces", the smaller pieces seemly floated down to the ground. Sadly Mr Magson passed away some months after I contacted him. He also suggested that the by-pass
could have been cut through the main part of the crash site. Mr John Lund of Broughton also witnessed some of the wreckage and at least one body of an airman in the fields
on the western side of the plantation but was too young to be allowed closer to the main crash site. My thanks to both gentlemen. There must have been many more local boys
from Malton who attempted to go to the site from the Malton side but I have yet to speak to any at the time of last updating this webpage.
The crash investigation found the aircraft had broken up because of an excessive negative "G" force on the airframe, though no sign could be found in the wreckage to
account for this. The pilot's main oxygen cock was set in the "off" position when it crashed, though this was probably not a factor in the crash. The main conclusion was
the pilot's harness was found to be un-done at the time of the crash, later types of Wellingtons were known to be nose heavy and in a steep dive with the pilot not strapped
in this could have resulted in him falling forward across the controls with little or no chance of recovering in a steep fast dive. Why the dive begun in the instance was
never discovered.
Wellington JA119 was built to contract 92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Squires Gate, Blackpool, it was delivered to MU for acceptance in June 1943 and then taken on charge by 432 Squadron at Skipton on Swale on 11th July 1943. It was clearly written off after such an incident and Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded on the paperwork. It was struck off charge on 24th July 1943.
Pilot - F/O James Elmer Morris RCAF (J/14326), aged 28, of Chapleau, Ontario, Canada. Buried Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Navigator - F/Sgt Gordon Brydon Nesbitt RCAF (R/123738), aged 26, of Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Joseph William Campbell RCAF (R/142015), aged 25, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Harold Victor Baldwin RAF (1293595), aged 20, of Worthing. Buried Durrington Cemetery, Worthing, Sussex.
Rear Gunner - F/Sgt Vernon Francis Rector RCAF (R/113223), aged 23, of Pickardville, Alberta, Canada. Buried Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
M.T.Driver / Passenger - LAC Thomas Melville Kearns RCAF (111354), aged 23, of Quyon, Quebec, Canada. Buried Ripon Cemetery, Yorkshire.
This photograph shows Course #37 at 22 Operational Training Unit with Morris, Nesbitt and Rector marked.
James Morris was born on 12th November 1914 at Chapleau, Ontario, Canada and was the son of James Harold and Elizabeth 'Lily' (nee Mulligan) Morris. As a young man he worked in the police force for the Canadian Pacific Railways. He married to Muriel Hunt in Chapleau in July 1940 and the couple a son. In his spare his he gained a Private Pilot's License (#2280) at the Fort William Aero Club in 1937 and then joined the Border Cities and also Windsor Aero Clubs when stationed there with his police work. His RCAF service is different to many others I have looked at. He enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 27th August 1940 and then undertook flying instructor training in October 1940. He was then granted 'indefinite leave without pay' at the same time as being posted to 10 E.F.T.S. at Mount Hope airfield, Ontario (this appears that he was working as a civilian flying instructor at 10 E.F.T.S. but I could be wrong). This period of 'leave' from the RCAF lasted until 18th June 1942 when it appears he was taken on strength by the RCAF again and then undertook RCAF pilot training, which would have been only a formality given his previous flying background. He was awarded his pilot's flying badge and also a commission on 11th September 1942 and was then posted to the UK shortly after where he then trained at 15 (P)AFU and 22 OTU (Course 37). He was posted to 432 Squadron on 8th May 1943. At the time of his death he had logged some 1766 hours total flying time to his name, with 140 of these being on the Wellington type. In 2005 I was contacted by his great nephew Mr Hugh McGoldrick who was able to supply extra information on James' life. His son Mr Michael Morris later contacted me during his research displayed at "http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.co.uk" and I thank both gentlemen for their contact.
Vernon Rector was born on 31st May 1920 at Cardiff, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Walter and Mary Luella (Kinsella) Rector. Both his parents were born in the USA but moved to Canada where his father was a farmer. Vernon left school in 1935 and worked on the family farm at Pickardville, Alberta. He married in May 1940, the couple had a baby girl born in November 1940 and a baby boy born in March 1942. He enlisted for RCAF service on 7th July 1941 at Edmonton, Alberta for ground duties and then served as a guard in Canada. He remustered for aircrew duties in Summer 1942 and after training was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 9th October 1942. Arriving in the UK in November 1942 he trained at 7 AGS and 22 OTU (Course #37) before posting to 432 Squadron on 8th May 1943. His gravestone has the incorrect initial "B" instead of "V" on it.
Gordon Nesbitt was born on 17th May 1917 at Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada and was the son of John Rogers and Ida Maud (nee Brydon) Nesbitt. As a young man he studied at the University of Manitoba gaining a degree in Science and Agriculture, he then worked for the Swift Canadian Company at Neepawa, Manitoba as a hatchery and field manager. He enlisted for RCAF service in Winnipeg on 12th September 1941 for aircrew duties and after training in Canada he was awarded his air observer's flying badge on 14th August 1942. He was then posted to the UK shortly after where he then trained at 10 (O)AFU and 22 OTU (Course 37) and was then posted to 432 Squadron on 8th May 1943.
Joseph Campbell was born on 6th August 1917 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada and was the son of John and Sarah (nee Miller) Campbell. His parents had emigrated to Canada with his father being born in Ireland and his mother in Scotland. His father had died before he enlisted for RCAF service. He enlisted into the RCAF on 7th November 1941 in Regina and was driving trucks for the Canadian Pacific Express company at the time. He was awarded his Air Bomber's badge on 6th November 1942 after basic training in Canada. On arrival in the UK the following month he then trained at 22 OTU (possibly Course #36) and was posted to 432 Squadron on 8th May 1943. Campbell Bay in Saskatchewan was named in his honour.
Harold Baldwin and his grave in Durrington Cemetery, Worthing. He may have flown with 172 Squadron prior to serving with 432 Squadron in 1943. I thank Nikki Sheeran for both photographs.
Thomas Kearns was born on 13th May 1920 in North Onslow, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Thomas and Agnes Inez (nee Whelen) Kearns. The family later moved to Quyon, Quebec. He was working as a gold miner at the Aunor Gold Mine, Timmins, Ontario when he enlisted for RCAF service on 7th July 1941 in Ottawa. On his enlistment papers he stated that he wished to serve for ground duties and specified that he wishes to enlist as a nursing orderly. He initially began training as a nursing orderly but on 1st August 1941 switched to become an Motor Transport Driver and initially served in Canada before posting to the UK in March 1942. At the time of his death he was simply employed as an M.T.Driver attached to Leeming airfield rather than a specific unit. He was not (as I had previously assumed) a member of the ground crew who had just serviced the faulty aircraft. It seems likely that he was taking an opportunity for a ride in the air. I thank his nephew Mr Michael McBane for contacting me in 2015 and for supplying the photograph of him shown above.
