Halifax LV960 damaged over Thirsk, crashed near Goole.

On the night of 9th / 10th April 1944 this 427 Squadron aircraft was to have been used to fly an operational flight to bomb a marshalling yard target at Villeneuve St.George, near Paris. The aircraft took off from Leeming airfield at 20.55hrs for what would have been the crew's first operational flight. Having circled the general area of base while climbing to allow other 427 Squadron to get airborne and climb the crew began to set course at around 21.15 hours and headed roughly south-east. At 21.18hrs this aircraft collided with 424 Squadron Halifax LW437 over Thirsk railway station while flying at 8,000 feet. The crew of LW437 had been circling and climbing to allow their squadron aircraft to get in the air before all would have headed off as a larger bomber force. The collision damaged the ailerons of LV960 and the pilot found that he could not correctly control the aircraft. The exact course of events after the collision is not yet known. The landing locations of the crew are recorded in a No.6 Group Flying Control log and this suggests the crew took a somewhat random path away from the Thirsk area. At 21.35hrs the crew began to bale out around three miles south of Linton on Ouse. Two of the crew (bomb aimer and air gunner) were later found at the Priory, Nun Monkton and at the vicarage, Nun Monkton. The navigator landed in the Whixley / Green Hammerton area and was slightly injured. One of the air gunners also landed at Green Hammerton. All four were taken to the No.6 Group H.Q. at Allerton Park. The flight engineer and wireless operator's landing locations are not known but both were taken to Easingwold police station so presumably they landed at the other side of the River Ouse. What happened then is unclear. It is highly unlikely that the pilot took the aircraft out over the North Sea to dump the bomb load because he was found to have baled out over the Snaith area and the aircraft then crashed a mile west of Goole at 22.15hrs. He probably took a course as best he could avoiding build-up areas and may have been attempting to bale out just before reaching The Humber to allow the aeroplane and bomb load to then crash itself into the river but it fell short at Goole.

In 2007 historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast sought permission from the landowner and located small fragments of this aircraft on the surface of the field to confirm the location. In July 2021 a 500lb bomb was located during building work in the same area between the M62 and the A614 road, where this aircraft crashed. Halifax LV960 was carrying seven 1,000lb and six 500lb bombs when it took off that night. I presume that the crash site has now been totally cleared and the site built over.

Pilot - F/Sgt Raymond Mosher Stevens RCAF (R/107233).

Navigator - F/Sgt George Ernest Murray RCAF (R/154962). Injured.

Air Bomber - Sgt Henry Nunziato RCAF (R/145900). Injured.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt William Bruce Steele RCAF (R/135755).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Lawrence Trowsdale RAFVR (1540203).

Air Gunner - Sgt Albert James Dennis RAFVR (1869622).

Air Gunner - Sgt Frank Vivian Bogle RCAF (R/192614).