Halifax JD370 near Bubwith.

During the evening of 17th August 1943 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were in the process of taking off from Breighton for an operational flight to attack Peenemunde. A minute after taking off at 21.15hrs the aircraft suffered a problem with the constant speed unit on the port inner engine. The pilot then force landed in a field near Willow Garth, Bubwith. The aircraft was badly damaged in the crash but only the pilot sustained injures. Very little is know about the members of this crew. The AM Form 1180 states that it was recommended that the pilot be taken off operational flying for six months.

Pilot - W/O V McKinley RCAF (R/67677). Injured.

Flight Engineer - Sgt A Scrivens.

Navigator - Sgt Andrew John Kerr Steven RAFVR (979723).

Bomb Aimer - Sgt A McKenzie.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt F Cartwright.

Air Gunner - Sgt J Winchester (Possibly Sgt James Winchester RAF (549420)).

Air Gunner - Sgt D G Cummings.

On 24th August 1943 Sgt Steven was flying with F/O on Ops to Berlin, while over the target the 78 Squadron ORB states that he baled out on his own accord. The rest of the crew and the aircraft returned to base. He died and is now buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
I make a link to Sgt James Winchester RAF (549420) as being with 78 Squadron in August 1943. On 25th May 1943 this Sgt Winchester was training as an air gunner at 1652 HCU and was involved in the crash of Halifax L9571 at Tockwith which saw three of the crew being killed. If he wasn't severely injured he would have completed his training and received a posting to an operational squadron in the weeks after May 1943. Pure speculation on my part that they are one and the same.

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