During the day of 12th August 1944 the crew of this 420 Squadron aircraft took off from Tholthorpe airfield at 11.05hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Montritchard Castle, France. I assume it took place during the day so the target was obvious to crews and that French civilian or Allied army ground casualties would be greatly reduced. Before reaching the target, at 13,20hrs, the aircraft was damaged by flak in the front of the fuselage which killed in the navigator. The crew pressed on ad bombed the target area from 16,500 feet at 14.04hrs. They were able to fly back to Tholthorpe and landed at 16.35hrs.
Navigator - P/O Cecil Axford RCAF (J/86457), aged 21, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/A/19).
Pilot - W/C Gerald Arthur McKenna RCAF (C/1051).
BA? - F/O Leonard B Greenhalgh RCAF (J/25735).
? - WO1 F R Wilson RCAF (R/125244).
? - F/Sgt W Clayton RAFVR (1594957) 1394957
? - P/O Leonard Basil Dower RAFVR (179847)
? - P/O James McArdle RAFVR (179850)
? - F/O James Thomas Harris RAFVR (155070).
Cecil Axford was born on 3rd January 1923 at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Wilfred and Florence (nee Valentine) Axford. This parents had emigrated to Hamilton from Bolton, Lancashire, England before their marriage in Hamilton in 1915. As a young man Cecil worked as a boiler maker's apprentice. He enlisted for RCAF service in Hamilton on 1st April 1942 and after training in Canada he was awarded his air observers' flying badge on 22nd January 1943. On arrival in the UK in Spring 1943 he trained at 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 427 Squadron in August 1943. He then appears to have been posted to North Africa (squadron unknown) and served there until into 1944 when he was posted back to the UK and joined 420 Squadron on 8th February 1944. He received a commission on 17th June 1944. His brother Wilfred Valentine Axford served in the RCAF with 427 Squadron in the ground trades, he was awarded the British Empire Medal for his service.