On 9th December 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft took off from Elvington airfield at 10.09hrs to undertake a fighter affiliation exercise over the general area of the airfield. Ten minutes the Halifax had climbed to 9,000 feet and met with the Hurricane, this fighter was to act as an attacking aircraft to allow the Halifax crew to practice taking evasive action during simulated attacking passes on the Halifax. The Hurricane made two succesful attacks on the Halifax and the bomber crew took the necessary action. During the third attacking pass the Halifax made a diving turn the left followed by a very steep turn to the right, the aircraft stalled and the aircraft then entered into a fast spin from which the pilot was not in control. Having lost control the pilot instructed his crew to abandon the aircraft but owing to the forces involved in the spin only two airmen were able to reach their parachutes and bale out. The pilot was unable to recover control of the aircraft and it spun into the ground from around 7,000 feet. Sadly the five remaining airmen were killed in the crash at 10.30hrs, which occurred on the hillside behind the village of Leavening, between Malton and Pocklington. Personnel at East Moor airfield and on Strensall bombing range saw the aircraft crash in the distance with them later stating they saw it in a slow spin at around 2,000 feet, then catch fire in the air before it exploded on hitting the ground. Pocklington airfield took control of the crash site and sent their crash tender. The Accident Investigation Branch were asked to investigate this accident because it was thought that some form of structural failure or elevator overbalance problem prior to the aircraft stalling may have occurred, this investigation was inconclusive. (see "AVIA5/22 Report W1726" in the National Archives for more details).
Pilot - P/O John Kenneth Forest RCAF (J/19350), aged 22, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/F/14).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Leslie Reginald Mace RAFVR (1803191), aged 21, of Southend-on-Sea Essex. Buried Camberwell New Cemetery, London.
Navigator - P/O Geoffrey Owen Sharpe RAFVR (168970), aged 20, of Sawbridgeworth. Buried Sawbridgeworth Churchyard, Hertfordshire.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Edward Frank John Hemming RCAF 415682(R/94132), aged 21, of Outremont, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Cheltenham Cemetery, Prestbury, Gloucestershire.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Nicholas Charles Grob RAAF (425154), aged 24, of Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/F/15).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Rae Robert Johnson Simpson RNZAF (NZ.452628).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Speedie Clark RAFVR (1556642).
Historians Eric Barton and Albert Pritchard sought permission from the landowner and carried out a fieldwalk in what would appear to have been during a spell of very hot weather in July 2006, locating a handful of pieces of the aircraft to confirm the location. The photograph shown above I took from the road above the crash site with the photographs below being two Eric took on the day of their visit.
Nicholas Grob was born on 20th November 1919 at Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia and enlisted for RAAF service in Brisbane.
John Forest was born on 21st July 1921 at Chinook, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Valmore Orville and Catherine (nee MacDonald) Forest. The family lived in Alberta until he was six years old before moving to Saskatchewan and settling in Spruce Home. He was studying at "Saskatoon Aeronautics" when he enlisted for RCAF service on 28th October 1940 for ground duties, to serve as an aero engine mechanic. He remustered as aircrew in March 1942 and then trained as a pilot, receiving hsi pilot's wings on 20th November 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at 5 (P)AFU, 15 OTU and 1663 HCU before posting to 77 Squadron (with the rest of this crew) on 8th September 1943. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 11th November 1943.
Edward Hemming was born on 21st September 1922 at Verdun, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Frank John and Daisy (nee Godwin) Hemming. He was living and working in Montreal when he enlisted for RCAF service on 31st March 1941 for ground duties. He initially served as a "disciplinarian" but later remustered to aircrew and trained as an air gunner, receiving his flying badge on 26th March 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 15 OTU and 1663 HCU before posting to 77 Squadron on 8th September 1943.
Geoffrey Sharpe received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 4th October 1943.
Of the two survivors James Clark was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 8th December 1944. He received a commission much earlier, to the rank of P/O on probation on 24th August 1944 and rose to F/O six months later.
Rae Simpson was still serving with 77 Squadron on 21st January 1944 and was flying in Halifax LL190 on Ops to Magdeburg, the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter and he would be the only survivor, managing to bale out before it crashed in Germany. He became a PoW.