Halifax MZ286 near Barmston.
During the early hours of 18th July 1944 this 158 Squadron aircraft undertook operational sorties to bomb a target at Caen in advance of ground forces in Normandy. The direction the squadron aircraft took off from Lissett appears to have been on the west-east runway and towards the coast with the weather described as good. Other 158 Squadron took off towards the coast with the tail lights of some seen to noticably sink as they crossed the coast owing to probable turbulence. The timings between each aircraft taking off was later stated to have been too short between each aircraft with the turbulence being created partly by the slipstream of aircraft having just taken off ahead of following aircraft. At 03.39hrs Halifax MZ286 took off from Lissett and headed east. This was the 21st 158 Squadron aircraft to take off but this pilot had a usual practice of holding his aircraft close to the ground after take-off compared to other pilots who began to climb away.
Two minutes after becoming airborne MZ286 struck the sea at Barmston with the port wing first and broke up. The primary cause of the accident was considered to be the temporary loss of control of the aircraft by the pilot, it had almost certainly also been effected by turbulence in the vicinity of the coast but because it was flying lower than the others had no height margin. An explosion on impact destroyed the aircraft and all on board were sadly killed. The aircraft had crashed just below the high water mark. Over the days that followed the bodies of all the crew were recovered. While I do not include flying accidents at sea on this website this incident occurred on what was technically land for part of the day. I strongly suspect that coastal errosion since 1944 has effected where the site now lies and it is probably beyond the low water level and very much out to sea. A memorial bench within Park Resorts Caravan Park commemorating the accident was created in August 2005.
Pilot - F/O Henry Charles Monnier RCAF (J/17208), aged 25, of Norwood, Manitoba, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/16).
Navigator - F/Sgt George Thomas Bishop RAFVR (1394165), aged 22, buried Hither Green Cemetery, London.
Air Bomber - F/Sgt James Edward David Fee RAFVR (951326), aged ? Buried Bebington Cemetery, Cheshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt George Frederick Emery RAFVR (1393444), aged 22, buried Faversham Borough Cemetery, Kent.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Ronald Frank Burgess RAF (649037), aged 22, buried Alton Cemetery, Hampshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Harold Johnston RAFVR (1807870), aged 20, buried Anfield Cemetery, Liverpool.
Air Gunner - Sgt Campbell McKay William Montgomery RAFVR (1820975), aged 20, buried Grangemouth (Grandsable) Cemetery, Stirlingshire.
Henry Monnier was born on 24th August 1918 at St.Jean Baptiste, Manitoba, Canada and was the son of Roger Henry and Helene (nee LaForme) Monnier. His father was born in Sonvillier, Switzerland but emigrated to Canada and became naturalised in 1921. As a young man Henry worked as a clerk for a telephone company in Manitoba. He enlisted for RCAF service on 20th January 1941 at Winnipeg, Manitoba initially training as a wireless operator / air gunner but then transferring to pilot training. He was awarded his pilot's wings on 19th December 1941. On arrival in the UK he appears to have served as a staff pilot at 1511 Beam Approach Training Flight from April 1942 to April 1943. He received a commission on 9th March 1943. He was then posted to train for operational flying and trained at 28 OTU and 1652 HCU before posting to 158 Squadron on 29th April 1944.
The crew of Halifax MZ286. Photograph via the late Eddie Fell. Back row L-R Fee, Johnson, Burgess, Emery. Front L-R Bishop, Monnier, Montgomery.
The memorial bench inside a holiday park. A further memorial plaque is to be seen in Lissett Church. I credit Eric Barton with these two photographs.
