Halifax JP117 near Helperthorpe, south of East Heslerton.
The night of 21st / 22nd January 1944 saw a large bomber force attack Magdeburg in Germany, 648 aircraft were put up of which 224 were Halifaxes and some of the main force were using the new H2S system. 78 Squadron Halifax JP117 took off from Breighton airfield at 20.04hrs on the evening of 21st January 1944 and the crew bombed the target from around 20,000 feet at 23.10hrs. While over the target area JP117 is believed to have been damaged by flak and on their return the aircraft encountered bad visibility over Yorkshire. At 02.15hrs on 22nd January 1944 the damaged aircraft flew into the rising ground to the south-east of East Heslerton near Helperthorpe. As there were no obstructions in the way in this part at the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds the aircraft stayed more or less intact and only one of the crew sustained injuries. The crew were able to return to flying duties the following day; that is all apart from the flight engineer who took some weeks to recover and return to duty.
Halifax JP117 was built to Contract B124357/40 by The London Passenger Transport Board Ltd, at their Leavesden factory. It was issued to 78 Squadron at Breighton in December 1943 but then a transfer appears on the paperwork but probably never happened in real life; it is registered as being with 3 OAPU at Llandow in December 1943 but this is clearly a clerical error. It was written off following the incident near East Heslerton on 22nd January 1944 while in 78 Squadron service.
Pilot - Sgt William Mockler RAF (575500).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William Robert Walker RAFVR (1685319). Seriously injured.
Navigator - F/O Frederick Florent Sait RCAF (J/24039).
Bomb Aimer - F/O F Henderson.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt S Howard RAFVR (1322462).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Alexander McLean RAFVR (1363607).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Charles George Baron RAFVR (1509290).
In September 2010 I was contacted by the pilot's son Mr Peter Mockler, I thank him for the information he was able to kindly provide. William Mockler was born on 7th February 1923 in Dublin. He had originally served in the RAF and was awarded his Wings on 17th February 1943. He later transferred to the ATA. On 16th April 1945 he was awarded a Royal Aero Club aviators' certificate (Cert.No.20407). He later worked as a test pilot for Shorts in Belfast but this ended following a serious flying accident in July 1951. When he recovered he worked as a civilian airline pilot for many years.
Little else is known of any of the crew apart from the Canadian navigator Frederick Sait. He was born in 1921 at Hazelton, British Columbia and before enlisting into the RCAF he was formerly in the Canadian Army (but also possibly worked for a Canadian newspaper at some stage). He enlisted into the RCAF in Vancouver on 7th May 1942. After initial training in Canada he was posted to the UK and while training he survived the crash of Wellington Z9106 on the night of 6th / 7th November 1943 while training with 15 OTU. The Wellington was returning to Hampstead Norris after a training flight when it suffered engine failure and struck trees and then a garage near Chievely near Newbury, Berkshire. One of the crew on that occasion sadly died. P/O Sait completed his training and was later posted to 78 Squadron having been commissioned in 1943. The accident near East Heslerton with 78 Squadron took place on his first operational flight but he completed a tour of forty operational flights (184 hours flying time) between 21st January and 26th August 1944. Hugh Halliday's outstanding research into RCAF awards has found a recommendation dated 16th September 1944, it stated that.. "he has been outstandingly successful as a navigator, and has shown his ability on many raids against the most heavily defended targets. At all times he has shown the greatest coolness in face of the enemy, and his work on operations has been of an extremely high standard, as is proved by his night photographs. He has done much to achieve the present standard of navigation on the squadron both by his work in his section and by his fine personal example. For his outstanding devotion to duty he is most strongly recommended for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross." The DFC was granted to him on 1st December 1944 (and Gazetted on 12th December 1944) but he did not receive the award until it was posted to him in Canada in February 1950. There was no citation other than "..in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations against the enemy."