On 18th December 1944 the crew of this 425 Squadron aircraft took off from Tholthorpe airfield at 02.22hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Duisburg. Having climbed to between three and five hundred feet in the minute after leaving the ground the aircraft then lost height and clipped two trees around forty feet high. The pilot then lost control and the aircraft crashed into a ploughed field some four hundred yards later near Alne village. Upon impact the bomb load on the aircraft exploded, the aircraft was destroyed and all on board were killed. The crash occurred around a mile and a half in a straight line from the end of the runway in use at Tholthorpe. There was superficial damage done by the blast to cottages on the north west side of Alne village but there were no civilian casualties. An investigation was held to try and determine why the aircraft had lost height so soon after taking off, it found that the flying conditions at the time of take off were good; visibility was around 3500 yards, surface wind was light and there was little cloud. The pilot was an experienced operational captain and had already flown twenty eight operational flights so inexperience was believed not to be a factor. As a result of the good flying conditions and lack of any other evidence to suggest why height had been lost so soon after taking off no conclusions could be made and the reason behind the crash was never learnt. A memorial to the eight airmen is to be found in Alne church.

Pilot - F/O Joseph Raymond Jean Marie Desmarais DFC RCAF (J/87112), aged 24, of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/9).

Flight Engineer - P/O Joseph Blackburn RAFVR (186889), aged 36, of Carlisle, Cumbria. Buried Dalston Road Cemetery, Carlisle, Cumbria (14/N/51).

Navigator - F/O Joseph Wilfred Laurier F. Bernier DFC RCAF (J/29412), aged 29, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/10).

Bomb Aimer - P/O Joseph Rosaire Jean Charles Labrecque RCAF (J/88921), aged 28, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/11).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Joseph Edward Lawrence Dubois RCAF (J/88326), aged 24, of Dorion Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/13).

Air Gunner - F/Sgt Joseph Maurice Paradis RCAF (R/62838), aged 29, of Lac au Saumon, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/14).

Air Gunner - F/Sgt Joseph Rene Lariviere RCAF (R/135028), aged 24, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/15).

Air Gunner - P/O Raymond Charles Gauthier RCAF (J/90899), aged 20, of Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/D/12).

Rarely for WW2 aircraft crashes this incident made the local newspaper.

A memorial plaque is to be seen in Alne Church. The aircraft crashed near Home Farm and with the crash site being on land which is now on or next to the cricket field. Up until at least 1976 large cracks could still be seen in row of houses in Alne.

Joseph Paradis was born on 5th October 1915 at Lac au Saumon, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Adelard and Marie (nee St.Laurent) Paradis. As a young man he trained as a teacher and then worked for Price Brothers Ltd at Price, Quebec but possibly at the saw mill rather than in teaching in the school. He enlisted for RCAF service at Matane, Quebec on 6th September 1940 for aircrew duties but does not appear to have undertaken flying training immediately as he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge much later on 26th November 1943. He was posted to the UK soon after and further trained at 23 OTU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 425 Squadron on 30th July 1944. He was then posted back to 1659 HCU on 24th September 1944 for a couple of months returning to 425 Squadron on 24th November 1944. He was flying in the mid under gun turret in Halifax MZ538 on the night it crashed.

Joseph Lariviere was born on 10th March 1920 at St.Marie Salome, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Moise and Anne (nee Mireault) Lariviere. As a young man he undertook a variety of jobs. He enlisted for RCAF service on 30th September 1941 at Montreal and after training in Canada he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 23rd December 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 22 OTU and 1664 HCU before posting to 425 Sqadron on 6th December 1944. He was killed while making his first operational flight with 425 Squadron.

Joseph Labrecque was born on 28th July 1916 at St.Casimir, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Rosaire and Corinne (nee Douville) Labrecque. As a young man he undertook a number of different jobs including four years being a travelling salesman. He enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 3rd February 1942 and after training in Canada was awarded his air bombers' flying badge on 23rd October 1942. He left for service overseas soon after and on arrival in the UK was posted to train at 9 (O)AFU, 10 OTU, 23 OTU and then 311 FTU in July 1943. 311 Ferry Training Unit trained aircrew to ferry aircraft between the UK and overseas theatres. On 6th September 1943 he was attached to No.1 OADU (Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit). He would have been part of a crew that flew a bomber out to one of the overseas theatres of war, in this case it was North Africa as he joined 425 Squadron on 7th September 1943 and they were in North Africa at that time. 425 Squadron was posted to the UK later in 1943 and he arrived back in the UK on 6th November 1943, later receiving a posting to 1666 HCU between 9th December 1943 and 5th January 1944 to convert to flying Halifaxes. He was then posted back to 425 Squadron and completed his first Tour with them in the UK. He received a commission on 25th June 1944. Between 1st May 1944 and 12th December 1944 he served at 29 OTU, his service record contains documents from his service file state that he had expressed a wish to undertake pilot training and and also a recommendation from his commanding officer at 425 Squadron for this. He may have then been granted pilot training and was doing this at 29 OTU. Just six days before his death he was posted back to 425 Squadron to begin a second tour. Although the crash investigation gives no evidence of this but what if lesser expeienced "pilot" (but a highly experienced bomb aimer) Joseph Labrecque had been at the controls of the Halifax, and not the highly experienced pilot Joseph Desmarais when it took off from Tholthorpe on 18th December 1944. It would offer a possible "human error" factor into the reason behind the crash occurring. Pure speculation on my part and there is no evidence of this.

Joseph Dubois was born on 30th September 1920 at Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Henry and Juliette (nee Sauve) Dubois. They lived in Ontario until he was fifteen before moving to Montreal, Quebec. He enlisted for RCAF service on 11th December 1940 at Montreal for ground duties and served in Canada possibly as some form of equipment clerk. He remustered as aircrew in Summer 1941. After training was then awarded his wireless operator / air gunners' flying badge on 6th July 1942 but then remained in Canad until November 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 3 (O)AFU, 82 OTU and 1659 HCU. He received a commission on 22nd July 1944. With training complete he was posted to 415 Squadron on 26th July 1944, on 8th August 1944 he survived the crash landing of Halifax LW686 at East Moor. He was later posted to 408 Squadron on 7th October 1944 and finally to 425 Squadron on 26th October 1944 probably as a spare wireless operator. He would not have been the original wireless operator in Joseph Desmarais' crew, I have not located any information to suggest why the original was replaced.

Joseph Blackburn received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 26th October 1944.

Joseph Desmarais was born on 23rd January 1921 at Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Urgel and Marie Louise (nee Quintal) Desmarais. As a young man he worked as a teacher, accountant and latterly as a tele-type operator for the Canadian Pacific Railway company. He enlisted for RCAF service on 10th June 1942 at Montreal and was issued with the service number R/171255. This was the same day and same place as Joseph Bernier (R/171258) and they must have been the enlistment queue together and may have known each other before hand. After training in Canada he was awarded his pilots' flying badge on 3rd September 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 14 (P)AFU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU. He received a commission on 5th June 1944. He must have met up with Joseph Bernier again at 22 OTU and they formed the same crew who were then posted to 425 Squadron on 26th July 1944. For service with 425 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted after his death on 12th January 1945. The citation for his DFC states that on "One night in November 1944, Flying Officer Desmarais piloted an aircraft in an attack on Bochum. Whilst over the target the aircraft sustained much damage and one engine was set on fire. In spite of this, Flying Officer Desmarais pressed home a most determined attack. The fire in the burning engine was extinguished but the propeller could not be feathered. Nevertheless this resolute pilot succeeded in flying his damaged aircraft to base where he effected a safe landing. This officer set a fine example of skill, coolness and determination in most difficult circumstances." The incident related to the events on 4th November 1944 when they were flying Halifax MZ621.

Joseph Bernier was born on 18th November 1915 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Joseph and Beatrice (nee Charron) Bernier. As a young man he worked at a variety of jobs, latterly at the Canadian Car and Foundary company who were involved in the war effort making Hawker Hurricanes. He enlisted for RCAF service on 10th June 1942 at Montreal and after training in Canada was awarded his air navigators' flying badge and also a commission on 20th August 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 7 AOS / 7 (O)AFU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 425 Squadron on 26th July 1944. For service with 425 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted after his death on 16th February 1945. The recommendation for his DFC, dated 14th November 1944, (as sourced by Hugh Halliday) states.. "Flying Officer Bernier was the navigator of a crew detailed to attack Bochum, Germany, on the night of November 4th 1944. Despite heavy flak and persistent coning by search lights, the run up to the target was made without incident. As the target was approached, the mid-upper gunner reported an aircraft above. The pilot weaved to starboard and as he did so, the aircraft was showered with some 33 incendiaries; one of these ripped the nose of the aircraft, at the same time smashing the bomb aiming instruments. The starboard inner engine was set afire by one of these bombs. A thousand-pound bomb greased the rudder, tearing away part of the tail assembly. Other incendiaries buried themselves in the wings. Three of them burst through the fuselage and remained in the aircraft. In a very calm, comforting and convincing manner, as though nothing had happened, this officer did much to help the morale of the crew. Very cooly he gave the pilot new courage and directions. Under these adverse conditions, he materially helped in the aircraft's safe return. Flying Officer Bernier displayed great presence of mind and has set a splendid example of fearlessness and outstanding leadership. His exceptional cool courage and efficiency are worthy of high praise."

Raymond Gauthier was born on 6th June 1924 at Tecumseh, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Nelldo and Denise (nee Desjardins) Gauthier. After leaving high school in 1940 he worked as a shipping clerk for the Snap-On tools company at Windsor, Ontario until enlisting for RCAF service in Windsor on 27th April 1943. After training in Canada he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 10th December 1943. He was then posted to the UK soon after and, following training at 22 OTU and 1659 HCU, was posted to 425 Squadron on 26th July 1944. He then received a commission on 17th October 1944.