Lancaster KB724 near Appleton Wiske.
On 27th August 1944 the crew of this 419 Squadron aircraft were to undertake an operational flight to bomb German gun site at Mimoyecques, France. As the aircraft was taking off from Middleton St. George airfield at 17.43hrs an engine failed. Unfortunately a second engine then failed two minutes later and because of the bomb load and fuel, the aircraft could not maintain height. Around three minutes after taking off the pilot force landed the aircraft in a field just over a mile east of Appleton Wiske. All on board escaped injury but the aircraft was badly damaged. The 419 Squadron records mention this incident and also state that "the farmer on whose land the crash landing was made berated then crew for crashing on his land." The incident also closed the railway line for nineteen hours with the location given in railway records as being near Welbury (south of Appleton Wiske) which would suggest it crash landed perhaps somewhat south-east of Appleton Wiske.
Pilot - WO2 Lloyd Henry McDonald RCAF (R/139683).
Flight Engineer - Sgt James Greenwood RAFVR (2206024).
Navigator - F/Sgt D L Reid RCAF (R/173774).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt R G/O White RCAF (R/160746).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt F G Johnson RCAF (R/167936).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt W H Wilson RCAF (R/204782).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt R Shettler RCAF (R/189527).
He and many of the other Canadians completed their Tour with 419 Squadron and were repatriated in early 1945.
Lloyd McDonald was awarded the DFC for service with 419 Squadron, Gazetted on 25th May 1945. Hugh Halliday has located the recommendation for his DFC which mentions the incident at Appleton Wiske and it states.. "On the night of 27th August 1944, Pilot Officer McDonald was captain of an aircraft detailed for an operational mission. The aircraft was at maximum all up weight. Before the aircraft had reached 200 feet the starboard outer and port inner engines failed. This, due to the heavy load on board, necessitated a crash landing being made in a cultivated field. Pilot Officer McDonald so successfully executed this difficult task that none of the bombs exploded and all his crew escaped without injury of any kind. Since this harrowing experience, Pilot Officer McDonald has completed nineteen operational missions against some of the enemy's most heavily defended targets. He has always shown the greatest determination to press home his attacks in the face of whatever opposition the enemy was able to muster. This was well demonstrated in a daylight attack on Bottrop on the 26th September 1944. On the approach to the target the aircraft encountered heavy opposition from predicted anti-aircraft fire. Although the aircraft was repeatedly hit by shell fragments Pilot Officer McDonald insisted on a steady and accurate bombing run. I consider Pilot Officer McDonald's exceptional coolness and his example of outstanding calmness and courage in the face of the enemy fully merits the immediate award of the Distinguished Flying Cross."