On the night of 9th / 10th October 1944 the crew of this 426 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Bochum. They took off from Linton on Ouse airfield at 17.04hrs. At around 20.15hrs the aircraft received flak damage to the fuselage and unfortunately the mid upper gunner sustained injuries to the head. Members of his crew were able to dress the wound in the aircraft and give him morphine but he later lost consciousness while on the aircraft. The pilot was able to fly the aircraft back to base and they landed at Linton on Ouse at 22.49hrs. He was immediately admitted to station sick quarters but transferred to York Military Hospital soon after. Because of the lack of a neuro-surgery at York he was assessed there and it was decided to transfer him to a specialist head injuries hospital at Sheffield. Unfortunately on-route his condition deteriorated and the ambulance diverted to Doncaster Royal Infirmary where, on arrival, he had sadly died at 07.45hrs.
Mid Upper Gunner - P/O Robert Burns Scott RCAF (J/93090), aged 20. Of Horizon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/A/13).
Pilot - F/Lt Eric Thomas Garrett RCAF (J/10741).
Navigator - F/O John Leslie Atkinson RCAF (J/35829).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Kenneth George Parker RCAF (J/36081).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O William Gordon Miller RCAF (J/94338).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Eric Stanley Jerome RAFVR (1892159).
Rear Gunner - P/O Joseph Granville Barber RAFVR (184479).
Robert Scott was born on 29th May 1924 at Bengough, Saskatchewan, Canada and was the son of Albert Burns and Evelyn (nee Knudson) Scott. Both his parents were born in the USA but moved to Canada where the family farmed at Horizon, Saskatchewan and Robert lived all his life. As a young man he worked on the family farm. He enlisted for RCAF service on 3rd July 1943 at Regina and after training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 11th February 1944. With training complete in Canada he was posted to the UK and after training at 22 OTU and 1664 HCU he was posted to 426 Squadron on 17th September 1944. He had flown three operational flights and received a back dated commission after his death, dated to 8th October 1944.
Soon after this incident the rear gunner left this crew and he and the mid upper gunner were both were replaced. Unfortunately S/Ldr Eric Garrett and his crew were all killed on 5th March 1945 when Halifax PN228 crashed near Nun Monkton.