On the night of 20th / 21st December 1943 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft took off from Breighton airfield at 16.22hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Frankfurt. All appears to have gone without incident, they bombed the target area at 19.39hrs and reached the landing circuit of Breighton on their return, while circling at around 1,000 feet the aircraft stalled and dived into the ground just after midnight into a field just to the south of Brindleys Plantation, near the hamlet of Brind, near Howden. All of the crew died as a result of this accident which occurred on their first operational flight with 78 Squadron. This aicraft was the final 78 Squadron to make a landing on this night and this aircraft was probably lining up to make a final approach to then go in to land when the crash occurred. In more recent years the location of the crash site was confirmed by air historians Dick Barton, Albert Pritchard and Ken Reast in September 2002 with permission from the landowner, they located small pieces of the aircraft in the field.
Pilot - F/Sgt Andrew Molloy RAAF (415167), aged 27, of Claremont, Western Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/H/3).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Aubrey Denys Meynell RAFVR (1534900), aged 21, of Darlington. Buried Darlington Western Cemetery, Co.Durham.
Navigator - Sgt Francis Edward Hothersall RNZAF (NZ.421934), aged 30, of Wellington City, New Zealand. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/H/5).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Bronson Donald Heading RAAF (417483), aged 23, of Campbelltown, South Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/H/6).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Francis William Doonan RAAF (425493), aged 20, of Albion, Queensland Australia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/H/2).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Earl Edwards RCAF (R/191580), aged 20, of London, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/H/4).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Michael Blake RCAF (R/190770), aged 21, of Long Branch, On tario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (C/H/1).
Andrew Molloy was born on 31st May 1916 at Fremantle, Western Australia and enlisted for RAAF service in Perth.
Francis Doonan was born on 16th December 1916 at Mitchell, Queensland, Australia and enlisted for RAAF service in Brisbane.
Bronson Heading was born on 18th August 1920 at Campbelltown, South Australia and enlisted for RAAF service at Adelaide.
William Edwards was born on 5th January 1923 at Mt.Brydges, Ontario, Canada and was the son of David William and Margaret Sarah (nee Ovans) Williams. After leaving school he worked at various mechanical engineering jobs in Ontario. He enlisted for RCAF service on 8th September 1942 at London, Ontario and trained as an air gunner, receiving his air gunners' flying badge on 9th July 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 15 OTU and 1663 HCU before posting to 78 Squadron on 25th November 1943.
John Blake was born on 21st June 1922 at Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was the son of John Patrick and Isabel Foster (nee Westerman) Blake. Both he and his father worked at the Goodyear rubber factory in Toronto. He enlisted for RCAF service there on 8th September 1942 and after training in Canada was awarded the air gunners' flying badge on 9th July 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 15 OTU and 1663 HCU before posting to 78 Squadron on 25th November 1943. His brother Arthur also served in the RCAF during WW2.