Ground fire at Topcliffe airfield.
During the morning of 27th November 1944 a armourer at Topcliffe airfield was inside a nissen hut, used as a rest hut, and was employed in breaking apart a box of 1.5 inch signal cartridges that had been condemned by an AID inspector. A small stove was burning in the hut to provide warmth. At 10.30hrs he was seen to be cutting the cardboard cartridge cases with a knife and sorting the contents of the cartridges into various boxes on the floor prior to them being burnt. Exactly what happened is not recorded in the airman's service file. One of the boxes on the floor was seen to be smoking and then the room filled with exploding pyrotechnics. A panic of those in the hut then ensued and a delay in everyone getting out occurred. When everyone did get out a number had sustained burn injuries. The airman who was breaking down the cartridges was must seriously injured and subsequently died. There is nothing to confirm exactly what happened but the witness statements suggest that either part of a cartridge fell onto the stove in the hut, or the airman was smoking at the time.
Armourer - LAC Walter Nazarko RCAF (R/191412). Died of injuries. Aged 21. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/C/1).
MT Driver - LAC Eyjolfur Sigurdur Gunnarson RCAF (R/270695).
Armourer - LAC John Roden Butler RCAF (R/185509).
Armourment Assistant - LAC Howard Rwginald Petty RAFVR (1183239).
Armourer - LAC Robert Montague Snelson RCAF (R/135587).
Fitter Armourer - Cpl Norman George Spurrell RCAF (R/53121).
Fitter Armourer - Sgt John Little RCAF (R/60134).