Halifax EB203 near Bishop Monkton.
On 15th April 1944 the weather forecast was predicted to be poor and all base commanding officers in the Vale of York area were instructed not to allow training flights to be carried out because of this poor weather at low level. As a number of crews were to fly Halifax's above the cloud the Commanding Officer of 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit base at Dishforth ordered his exercises to be carried out. Six aircraft took off for their training flights but on their return to Yorkshire only two made returns to Dishforth; two diverted and landed at Linton on Ouse and two others crashed killing at total of twelve aircrew and three civilians; EB203 and EB205. The crew of EB203 took off from Dishforth at 20.10hrs and just over an hour later had been recalled and were returning to base because the local weather conditions were turning bad. At 23.25hrs and in poor visibility this aircraft was heard flying near the village of Bishop Monkton, near Ripon. The aircraft then dived into the ground near to Bishop Monkton close to the Ripon road, a haystack close by was also set on fire. It was thought that the aircraft may have been struck by lightning just before the crash and this had stunned the pilot who lost control. The crew of seven were all killed in the crash and it took the RAF some time to clear the site; villagers speak of a crater in the field which was closely guarded before being filled in. A memorial cross was placed at the site in the years after the War but this had gone by 2007.
One of the witnesses to the incident was a boy at the time and was instrumental in getting a memorial for the crew created and dedicated, Bishop Monkton resident Mr Keith Whitfield had witnessed the scene of the crash in 1944 to EB203 and felt that a proper memorial should be erected for the aircrew killed in this incident. Through his work, efforts and his own money a memorial was dedicated in the village hall, a few hundred yards from the crash site on 16th April 2008. Amongst those present were many villagers and relations of the flight engineer. Being unable to attend herself a letter of appreciation from the pilot's sister, Mrs Judy Pickering, was read out. The event was well reported in the local media and I thank Mr Whitfield for inviting me to attend. Mr Whitfield died in 2013, without his time in sharing his information this webpage would not be as detailed.
Pilot - Tech/Sgt Wendell N Watkins Jnr USAAC (10601597), of Collins, Erie County, New York, USA. Initially buried in the UK, body returned to USA in 1948. Buried Collins Center Cemetery, Erie County, New York, USA.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Kenneth David Holden RAFVR (2209331), aged 20, of Atherton, Wigan. Buried Tyldesley Cemetery, Lancashire.
Navigator - F/O Hugh Alexander Wallace RCAF (J/23362), aged 32, of Midland, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/A/9).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Homer Leroy Muisiner RCAF (R/160427), aged 23, of Kane, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/A/7).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - WO1 John Huddleston RCAF (R/106580), aged 20, of Grants Pass, Oregon, U.S.A. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/A/8).
Air Gunner - Sgt Lloyd John Cull RCAF (R/200097), aged 18, of Falconbridge, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/A/5).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Edward Lovett RCAF (R/208139) aged 18, of St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/A/6).
Wendell N Watkins Jnr (above) was the son of Wendall (Snr) and Herberta Watkins of Gowanda, USA, he was born in 1923. He graduated from Gowanda High School in 1941 and applied to join the United States Air Force but they would not accept him because he only had a high school diploma so he then applied to join the RCAF and was accepted and completed much of his training with the RCAF before transferring to the USAAF in 1943 to join the European Theatre of War. Following his death he was initially buried in the large American cemetery near Cambridge (the left photo shows his headstone there). His body was returned home to be re-interred in the USA in 1948. The service was conducted on 21st July 1948 with burial at Collins Center Cemetery, New York afterwards, with six school-friends walking as an escort to the graveside. Much of this information was researched by Mr Phil Palen, of Gowanda, New York and was passed to Mr Leslie Green, and in turn to me. The modern photograph of his gravestone in the USA is through Mr Palen and I thank for this and his research. The photograph of his original grave marker/cross was kindly sent to Mr Green by Wendell Watkins' sister Mrs Judy Watkins Pickering to whom I am most greatful.
Kenneth Holden lost his father in the First World War when he was only two years old and a few years after this he lost his mother at the age of four. He and his eight year old brother Ronnie were then brought up by their mothers sister; their aunt and uncle, Mr Harold Martin and Mrs Mary Martin, of Warwick Road, Atherton. The Martin family already had two sons, one of which joined the RAF but returned home from training in Canada because of ill health and became a teacher. (I would like to thank Ms Edith Alice Martin, via Mr Leslie Green, for this additional information on Kenneth Martin. I understand that the family still live locally to Atherton and I do not intend publishing details of living individuals). Kenneth was educated at St Anne's School and Chowbent Unitarian School in the Atherton area. He was also employed in the cardroom of Laburnum School. Before joining the RAF he was a member of the Atherton ATC and a NFS messenger and a member of the local church at St.Annes. My thanks to Mr David Peacock for the photograph of his gravestone.
Charles Lovett was born on 23rd May 1925 in Huron County, Ontario and was the son of Albert and Beatrice (nee McBrien) Lovett. The family later moved to St.Catharines, Ontario, Canada. After leaving school he worked as a machine operator for the Hayes Steel Company at Merriton from 1940 until 1941 but left to work as a civilian aero engineer at No.9 EFTS at St.Catharines until enlisting for RCAF service on 26th November 1942 in Hamilton. After training in Canada he was awarded his Air Gunner's badge on 3rd September 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 82 OTU before posting to 1664 HCU on 18th March 1944.
Homer Muisiner was born on 28th January 1921 at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Frank Garner and Eva (nee Darby) Muisiner. The family lived in Ontario until he was three before moving to Florida, USA for two years and then settling at Kane, Pennsylvania, USA. After leaving school in 1939 he worked in a nut shop in Kane until 1941 and then left this job to work in his father's bakery business. He travelled back to Canada to enlist for RCAF service in Toronto on 16th April 1942. After training in Canada he was awarded his air bombers' flying badge on 25th June 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 6 (O)AFU and 82 OTU before posting to 1664 HCU on 18th March 1944. (Photograph supplied by Ms Kathy Muisiner and Mr Frank Muisiner, via Mr Leslie Green).
Lloyd Cull was born on 22nd October 1924 in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada and was a son of Christopher John and Lillian Maud (nee Standing) Cull. The family later moved to Falconbridge, Ontario. He was one of four Cull brothers to serve in the War, pictured above left to right are Arnold, George, Lloyd and Cecil Cull and also Lloyd Cull's gravestone at Harrogate. All four brothers had infact tried to enlist for Navy service but Lloyd and George were too young at the time and were refused so they joined the RCAF instead. Lloyd Cull and the older brother Arnold both tried to enlist on Christmas Eve 1941 but only Arnold was accepted, Lloyd was too young so was eventually successful in enlisting into the RCAF 24th November 1942 at North Bay. After basic training he was awarded his Air Gunner's badge on 3rd September 1943. He arrived in England the following month and over the coming months he trained at 81 OTU and 27 OTU before posting to 1664 HCU in late February 1944. Further research by Keith Whitfield revealed that Lloyd Cull was a good swimmer and especially good at hockey. He played midget, juvenile and junior hockey at Falconbridge and was a star in some of the midget NHL cup games. In a press report in November 2007 the Sudbury Star, Canada contained a report in which Lloyd's brother Arnold Cull was interviewed and states that "Lloyd was the better one, he played with the Copper Cliff Redmen, he played junior hockey in 1942 and was a member of the 1940-1941 Rothschild winners, along with his brother George." He also played the tuba in the Falconbridge Band. Arnold Cull stated that Lloyd wasn't as good in school as George and didn't finish high school. Lloyd was working at Falconbridge Mines when he enlisted.
George Cull had also attempted to enlist for Navy service but was also refused because of his age so enlisted into the RCAF, he sadly died on 29th December 1943 in a flying accident in Canada (and is buried in the family plot in Canada). George was born at Sturgeon Falls where his father worked for Abitibi and in 1933 the family moved to Sudbury, Garson and finally to Falconbridge. It was on George's final training flight with 34 OTU that the aircraft struck an indicator on a watertower and the aircraft crashed soon after. The four airmen on the aircraft were killed in the crash of the twin engine aircraft which "crashed a quarter of a mile from the railroad station at McAdam, N.B. The aircraft had been flying in formation with two others over the town. Railway employees saw something fall from the plane before it collided with a 20-foot indicator above an 80-foot water tank." A memorial cairn was later erected cose to the crash site in 2002. Both RCAF brothers now have memorials dedicated to their loss. The youngest brother Cecil Cull would later enlist into the Navy and both he and Arnold survived the War. I thank Arnold Cull's son Kevin for contacting me in October 2012 for extra details about the four brothers. Cecil was the last of the four brothers to pass away, he died in September 2011.
John Huddleston was born on 26th April 1923 at Antelope, Oregan, USA and was the son of John and Hazel (nee Adamson) Huddleston. The family were living at Grants Pass, Oregon by the time he enlisted for RCAF service in Vancouver on 21st May 1941. He was still a student when he enlisted and after initial training in Canada he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 8th June 1942. He then appears to have remained in Canada to serve as a staff air gunner (or possibly as an instructor though he does not appear to have undertaken instructor training). Over the next year he served at 6 AOS, 1 CNS and 32 OTU. In Autumn 1943 he was posted overseas to the UK where he trained at 82 OTU before posting to 1664 HCU on 18th March 1944 with this crew.
Hugh Wallace was born on 21st May 1911 Midland, Ontario, Canada and was the son of John Mcintosh and Annie Louise (nee McGrattan) Wallace. He left school in 1928 and began working with his fathers' as a clerk and book-keeper in the family coal merchant business. In later years his father retired and he became a partner in the family firm. He enlisted for RCAF service on 30th April 1942 in Toronto and trained as a navigator, being awarded his flying badge and also a commission on 5th February 1943. His postings in the UK are not yet known but he probably trained at 82 OTU before posting to 1664 HCU on the same date as the rest of this crew.
These photographs are not intended to be morbid but give an impression af what every airman's funeral service must have been like at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery during the War. The top photograph shows the crew of EB203 been carried into the Cemetery Chapel and the lower one shows their burial. Probably a similar and all too frequent occurance here for the two years it was used as the main War Cemetery in North Yorkshire.
From time to time I receive a photograph which depicts more than just information purtaining to just one incident and loss and more than which the photograph was intended to show. The above photograph was kindly sent to Mr Leslie Green by Wendell Watkins's sister and shows the graves of the crew who were buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, probably a few weeks after they were buried. Not only does it show these graves but many of the 1943 and early 1944 losses at the far side of the War Graves plot, a number of graves-in-waiting and an area which by the end of the War would be full of men who gave their lives. The photograph was actually taken by Mrs Mary Martin, Aunt to Kenneth Holden and sent to the Watkins family in the USA.
I visited the area of the crash in June 2007 following information from historian Ken Reast, Ken had sought permission from the landowner and he, Eric Barton and Albert Pritchard located small fragments on the site in September 2004 in the ground under what was then a muck heap! The muck heap had then moved a few yards up the field when this photograph was taken a year or so later.
My thanks to (the now late) Mr Keith Whitfield for much of the information shown on this webpage and for the invitation to the memorial service in 2008. Thanks also to Mr Ken Reast and Mr Leslie Green.
