On the night of 19th / 20th November 1943 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft took off from Breighton airfield at 16.16hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Leverkusen. The aircraft was damaged by flak over Germany which holed the fuselage in a number of places, also hit was the starboard main plane and also the starboard aileron. The damage to the aileron restricted its movement although did not prevent a return to the circuit of Breighton airfield being reached while in normal level flight. However, While making a turn over the airfield the damaged aileron prevented the pilot from keeping control and he was left to crash land the aircraft in a field near Eastrington at around 00.25hrs. Sadly the navigator was killed as a result of this incident while other members of the crew sustained injuries. As far as I can tell, all other modern references to this incident put the location as being near North Cave, the location given in the navigator's service file for his death states Eastrington. I would hazard a guess that because William Chorley states North Cave then everyone else has been lazy and simply copied his research without actually looking at source records then the error has been copied through.
Navigator - WO2 William Allan Valley RCAF (R/143973), aged 27, of Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C.E.2).
Pilot - F/Sgt Walter Hrynkiw RCAF (R/128305).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Leslie Gordon Preece RCAF (R/135239).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Jones RAFVR (1575502). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt George Edward Creer RAFVR (951791). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt George Stump RAFVR (910509).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Sidney Geoffrey Littler RAFVR (1523224).
William Valley was born on 26th May 1916 in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Emery and Christena Valley. Prior to enlisting for RCAF service he had been working as a salesman since 1936. He enlisted in Ottawa on 5th January 1942 and after basic training he received his air observer's flying badge on 23rd October 1942. He arrived in the UK by the end of 1942 and would train at 1 (O)AFU, 10 OTU and 1658 HCU before posting to 78 Squadron on 20th October 1943. William had two brothers; Cameron Edward Valley RCAF (R/54396) and Hugh James RCAF (R/161952), both of whom served in the RCAF "Overseas" and at the time of William's death one of his brothers was stationed at an airfield in the York area.
Walter Hrynikiw was born in February 1920 at Kurowice, in the Lodz area of Poland but had emigrated with his family to Plunkett, Saskatchewan, Canada. He enlisted for RCAF service in Saskatoon in September 1941. Following service with 78 Squadron he would later serve at 101 Squadron and was awarded the DFC for service with them, Gazetted on 27th March 1945. The citation probably partly refers to the crash landing detailed above in November 1943 and states that "This officer has an excellent record of achievement. His great determination and dauntless courage in the face of danger have set an inspiring example to all. During an attack against Stuttgart his aircraft was severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire and the air bomber was killed. Undaunted, Flying Officer Hrynikiw completed a successful attack. When engaged on another sortie against Stuttgart the aircraft in which this officer was pilot was engaged by enemy fire. The navigator was killed and two other members of the crew were severely wounded. Despite these hazardous experiences this gallant officer has continued to operate with indomitable zeal and great devotion to duty." He returned to Canada after the war and died in the Saskatoon area in May 2012.
George Creer was still serving with 78 Squadron when he was killed on 24th / 25th April 1944 when Halifax LW515 crashed in Belgium on Ops to Karlsruhe with the loss of the whole of his then crew. He is buried in Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.
Leslie Preece was the son of George Preece, of Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada. He was still flying in 78 Squadron Halifax LV939 on Ops to Montzen on 27th April 1943 when the aircraft was attacked by enemy aircraft. He and another member of his then crew baled out (probably after control had been briefly lost?), the pilot then managed to fly the aircraft back to the UK without further incident. "F/Sgt" P/O Preece saw out the war as a PoW. He had almost certainly received a commission just before being made a PoW and the squadron scribe had yet to catch up with the news as the squadron records still listed him in the rank of F/Sgt. He was NOT Gordon Leslie Preece RCAF (R/117149) who lost two brothers to RCAF service in the UK. These three brothers were sons of James Nathaniel and Rosina Preece but Gordon Leslie Preece (R/117149) was not in Europe in 1944, he was at Brantford, Ontario in December 1944. Posts on internet forums incorrectly suggest that this was his identity.