Halifax LK756 near Selby.
On the night of 13th / 14th March 1944 this 578 Squadron aircraft was used to fly an operational flight to bomb a railway target at Le Mans and took off from Burn airfield at 22.19hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area from 15,000 feet at 00.09hrs and made for home. On the approach to land the pilot suspected that the propeller on starboard inner was faulty so feathered the engine. The crew were about to land at Burn at 03.27hrs and just after lowering the undercarriage the warning horn sounded that signified that there was a problem with the undercarriage locking down. The pilot decided to attempt to make an overshoot and didn't land but after overflying the airfield the aircraft was unable to maintain height on three engines with the undercarriage lowered. Loosing height the aircraft crash landed near Staynor Hall, around a mile south-east of Selby.
Pilot - F/Sgt Donald George Neville Boyce RAFVR (1432345).
Navigator - Sgt Leonard James Sturt RAFVR (1385347)
Air Bomber - F/Sgt Gordon Hewitt Berry RCAF (R/114954).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - W/O Lloyde Hinson Hopper RCAF (R/99051).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Max Schorr RAFVR (1608365).
Air Gunner - Sgt Aubrey William George Waters RAFVR (1867865).
Air Gunner - Sgt David McKay RAFVR (1823109).