Halifax R9388 near Cawood.
On 2nd January 1943 this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was undertaking a daytime training flight when, fifteen minutes after taking off, the aircraft was flying near Riccall airfield with the starboard inner engine and propeller feathered. Instead of landing the aircraft began a steep climb, stalled and dived into ground at 10.20hrs just south of Cawood near the Tile Bridge.
Pilot - Sgt Thomas Davis Watson RAFVR (1340991), aged 19, of Lanark, Scotland. Buried Lanark Cemetery, Scotland.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Walter Frank Hewitt RAFVR (1417486), aged ? Of Wellington, Somerset. Buried Wellington Cemetery, Somerset.
Air Bomber - Sgt Jack Holder Atkinson RAFVR (1391253), aged 33, of Charlton, London. Buried Charlton Cemetery, Greenwich, London.
Rear Gunner? - Sgt Gordon Maxwell Lipsett RCAF, of Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada. Injured.
Bill Chorley's superb Bomber Command losses book for the HCU incidents states that Sgt Lipsett was initially admitted to Selby Cottage Hospital but later transferred to the RAF Hospital at Rauceby for treatment. He survived the War, married in Bournemouth, Dorset in 1943 and died in 1974 in the Winnipeg area of Canada.
Halifax R9388 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was initially delivered to 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse but was immediately transferred to 102 Squadron on Dalton on 24th Dceember 1941. On 17th February 1942 it passed to 102 Conversion Flight on 17th February 1942 but returned to 102 Squadron on 24th February 1942. On 21st April 1942 it was flown to 45 MU for unspecified reasons. On 14th June 1942 it was taken on charge by 158 Conversion Flight at East Moor on 14th June 1942. It suffered Cat.Ac/FA damage on 24th August 1942 at East Moor though this damage may have been upgraded to Cat.B/FA. The aircraft's AM Form 78 does not state that a repair in a works factory occurred though it is possible that this happened as it doesn't appear to have flown with 158 Conversion Flight again. The AM Form 78 suggests that once it was servicable it passed to 1658 Conversion unit at Riccall on 31st October 1942. On 2nd January 1943 it crashed at Cawood and sadly three airmen were killed. The damage was assessed as Cat.E2/FA and it was struck off charge on the same date.