On the night of 19th / 20th February 1944 this 424 Squadron aircraft was one of a number of 424 Squadron aircraft that were to have been flown an operational flight. Halifax LW433 was fourth in the queue to take off from Skipton on Swale airfield, it had been taxied to the runway and was stopped awaiting their turn to take off. At 23.52hrs Halifax HX316 ran into the rear of Halifax LW433. Unfortuately the rear gunner was in his turret at the time was killed instantly when a propeller struck the turret. Unfortunately I have yet to identify the other members of his crew who were about to begin their first operational flight.
Rear Gunner - P/O Gerald Alphonse Bottrell RCAF (J/88402), aged 19, of Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (F/A/15).
Pilot - P/O William Ernest Krampe RCAF (J/24321).
Probable crew....
Navigator - P/O Alexander Gale Fleming RCAF (J/23722).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt William Gerard Tillmann RCAF (R/155015).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leroy George Jewell RCAF (161346).
Flight Engineer - Sgt J L MacKintosh RAFVR (1822242).
Air Gunner - Sgt Edward Gomer Evans RCAF (R/187401).
Gerald Bottrell was born on 29th March 1924 in Detroit, Michigan, USA and was the son of Lawrence and Mary Ellis (nee Chavith) Bottrell. Both his parents were Canadian nationals but were living in USA where his father was working as a coal miner. Unfortunately his mother died when he was young so he was cared for by his father's brother and his wife in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. He was still a student when he enlisted for RCAF service though had worked at the Nobel munitions plant while on school holidays. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 19th October 1942. After training in Canada he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 25th June 1943. Once in the UK he trained at 23 OTU and 1666 HCU (at Wombleton) before posting to 424 Squadron on 24th December 1944 with his crew and one other crew (just after the squadron had arrived back in the UK from service in North Africa and converted to Halifaxes). He received a commission after his death, back dated to 18th February 1944.