Lancaster DS621 near Pilmoor.
During the afternoon of 2nd July 1944 the crew of this 408 Squadron aircraft were undertaking a daytime training flight that involved the demonstation of and practice flying on three engines. Of those confirmed on board were two 408 Squadron pilots. Of the two pilots, F/O Frankling, who had yet to fly an operational flight was being given instruction from the more experienced other pilot, F/O Clothier, who had flying instructor qualifications. Part of Frankling's crew was probably on board and perhaps some of Clothier's crew but I have yet to find any proper crew list for this incident and unfortunately the 408 Squadron records make no mention of this incident therefore nothing more of the crew is known. After taking off from Linton on Ouse the instructor began to demonstrate feathering propellers, shutting down and then re-starting engines. During the course of the exercise the starboard inner engine was successfully shut down and the propeller feathered. Later, in attempting to restart this engine the starboard outer engine then stopped and the starboard inner engine failed to restart. Flying at only 600 feet above the ground height could not be maintained long enough to fly to an airfield. Noticing that trees were directly ahead, the pilot feathered the starboard outer propeller and made a hurried forced landing in a field north-east of Brafferton at 15.48hrs. The aircraft received damage on landing and was further damaged by fire after coming to a halt but all on board were able to escape without injury. It was reported by personnel at Brafferton bomb storage site as being reasonably near them. The location given in a police record states it crashed into "Carr's field, Brafferton" while the map reference plots to being just east of Spring House Farm, near Pilmoor Hall. The trees the aircraft was flying towards must have been either Brafferton Spring Wood (to the south of the crash location) or the woodland around Pilmoor Hall (to the north-east of the crash location), both large enough to present the pilot a serious problem.
Pilot (Instructor) - F/O Robert Allan Clothier RCAF (J/15680).
Pilot (Pupil) - F/O George Reginald Frankling RCAF (J/25781).
Five others - (Possibly F/O Frankling's crew.)
His brother F/Lt John George Clothier RCAF was killed on 5th / 6th March 1945 while serving with 432 Squadron when Halifax RG475 crashed in Essex. He was flying his third Tour of operations, having earlier served as an air gunner he had remustered as a pilot.
Robert Clothier was born in October 1921 and was living in Vancouver, Canada when he enlisted for RCAF service in October 1940. Following training he was posted to 408 Squadron in March 1942 and completed a Tour with them. He then spent time instructing at 14 O.T.U., surviving the crash landing of Lysander R9013 on 27th May 1943. In January 1944 he was granted special leave to return to Canada. On occasions this came with a caveat that the airman would have to return to the UK and fly a second tour of operations. By April 1944 he was back in the UK and after training at 1664 HCU he was posted to 408 Squadron again on 2nd June 1944. He was the first pilot to complete two tours of operations with 408 Squadron and was awarded the DFC for service with 408 Squadron, Gazetted on 5th December 1944. By this date he had probably been repatriated. On 23rd December 1944 he was the only survivor of a No.5 O.T.U. B.25 crash in Canada which left him paralyzed from the waist down for two years. After the War he became a reasonably well known actor and his most famous appearance was on television as "Relic" on the Canadian TV series "Beachcombers", which is apparently the most successful Canadian TV program ever. He later appeared in the "X-Files" He died in February 1999.
George "Reg" Frankling was awarded the DFC for service with 408 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th April 1945.
I credit Hugh Halliday's RCAF awards research which has been used in the creation of these pilot's biogs.