On 14th July 1944 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft took off from Full Sutton airfield at around midday to under a fighter affiliation exercise. At 14.30hrs the aircraft broke up during the exercise and dived into the ground near Kirby Underdale killing all on board. It was thought that control of the aircraft had been lost while making a tight turn whic led to the aircraft breaking up in the air. I have yet to research the events leading up to the crash in more detail.
Pilot - P/O Nelson Hagey Groh RCAF (J/90370), aged 28, of Beamsville, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/10).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Harry Ashwell RAFVR (1594580), aged 32, of Batley. Buried Batley Cemetery, Yorkshire (T/547).
Navigator - P/O Daniel Francis Connolly RCAF (J/90369), aged 22, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/9).
Air Bomber - P/O Joseph Trevor Yeomans RCAF (J/90371), aged 22, of Milner, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/13).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Francis Simon Marcellus RCAF (J/90146), aged 26, of Chesterville, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/14).
Air Gunner - Sgt Daniel Webster MacKinnon RCAF (R/183416), aged 30, of Lake Ainslie East Side, Nova Scotia. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/11).
Air Gunner - Sgt Glendon Arthur Smirl RCAF (R/204325), aged 21, of Berwick, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (B/J/12).
Nelson Groh was born on 1st July 1916 near Hespeler, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Norman and Ida (nee Hagey) Groh. After leaving school he worked on his father's fruit farm, leaving in 1935 to study at argicultural college. In 1938 he left farming to work in a dairy and then in 1940 working for a feed merchant. He enlisted for RCAF service on 10th July 1942 in Hamilton and after training in Canada he was awarded his pilot's flying badge on 17th September 1943. Arriving in the UK in late 1943 he trained at 11 (P)AFU and 20 OTU before posting to 77 Squadron on 9th July 1944 with his crew. Of note is that the vast majority of this crew were working in farming in Canada prior to enlisting and I speculate that when they formed as a crew at 20 OTU they had discussed this. He appears to have received a commission after his death, backdated to 13th July 1944.
Daniel Connolly was born on 16th September 1921 at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and was the son of John Joseph and Alice Mary (nee Cull) Connolly. As a young man he worked as an auditor after leaving high school in 1941. He enlisted for RCAF service on 24th August 1942 in Hamilton and after training in Canada he was awarded his navigator's flying badge on 17th September 1943. He was posted to the UK a few weeks later and following training at 2 (O)AFU and 20 OTU he was posted to 77 Squadron on 9th July 1944 with his crew. He appears to have received a commission after his death, backdated to 13th July 1944.
Joseph Yeomans was born on 16th November 1921 at Langley, British Columbia, Canada and was the son of Robert Mark and Ada (nee Maughan) Yeomans. As a young man he studied a course on diesel and gasolene engines in 1940, this would have saw him ideally qualified to enlist into the RCAF as a member of groundcrew. He enlisted on 29th July 1941 in Vancouver and served as an aero engine mechanic. In early 1943 he remustered as aircrew, intially undertaking pilot training but switching to being an air bomber. He was awarded his air bomber's flying badge on 3rd September 1943 and was posted to the UK the following month. Prior to posting to 77 Squadron on 9th July 1944 he trained at 2 (O)AFU and 20 OTU. He also appears to have received a commission after his death, backdated to 13th July 1944. His brother John Douglas Yeomans served in the RCAF in WW2.
Francis Marcellus was born on 7th February 1918 at Chesterville, Ontario, Canada and was the son of William and Catharine Ida (nee Ouderkirk) Marcellus. As a young man he left school in 1934 and worked on his father's farm all his civilian life. He enlisted for RCAF service on 20th October 1941 in Ottawa and after training in Canada was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 11th January 1943 having already done wireless operator training. He was posted to the UK later in 1943 and first served with 407 Squadron, arriving on 18th September 1943 where he flew until January 1944. In February 1943 he was posted to 20 OTU and then joined 77 Squadron with the rest of this crew on 9th July 1944. He also appears to have received a commission after his death, backdated to 13th July 1944. His younger brother Douglas Lloyd Marcellus was killed flying with 419 Squadron on 6th December 1944 when Lancaster KB779 failed to return from Ops to Osnabruck.
Daniel MacKinnon was born on 15th October 1913 at Lake Ainslie, Nova Scotia and was the son of Malcolm Neil and Flora Catherine (nee MacLean) MacKinnon. As a young man he undertook a variety of jobs, initially working on his father's farm before attending agricultural college. He then worked as a teacher, then as a labourer for the Department of National Defense and latterly as a fitter's helper for the Dominion Steel and Coal company. He enlisted for RCAF service on 8th December 1942 in Sydney, Nova Scotia for aircrew duties and after training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 26th November 1943. Arriving in the UK in early 1944 he trained at 20 OTU before being posted to 77 Squadron on 9th July 1944. His brother Hector Duncan MacKinnon served in the RCAF overseas during WW2.
Glendon Smirl was born on 6th June 1923 at Berwick, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Carmel and Emma Blanche (nee Ouderkirk) Smirl. Both he and Francis Marcellus' mother's shared the same maiden name and both men lived within a few miles of each other in Ontario but I have yet to find a link to say if they were related. It would be a guess to say they were cousins. As a young man Glendon left school in 1940 and then worked on the family farm. He enlisted for RCAF service on 1st December 1942 in Ottawa and after training in Canada he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 26th November 1943. Arriving in the UK in early 1944 he trained at 20 OTU before posting to 77 Squadron on 9th July 1944.
Six members of this crew (back row) Mackinnon, Smirl, Yeomans; (front row) Connolly, Groh, Marcellus.