On the morning of 17th September 1944 this 424 Squadron aircraft was to have been flown on an operational flight to bomb a target at Boulogne. At 07.10hrs the aircraft took off from Skipton on Swale airfield. At 09.13hrs and while flying at 10,000 feet the Master Bomber gave the order to orbit the target. 8/10th to 10/10th cloud prevented the target from initially being properly identified and while orbitting a burst of flak near this aircraft penetrated it and killed the bomb aimer, F/O Morgan. The crew abandoned the flight and returned to Skipton on Swale airfield, landing at 11.11hrs with the bomb load on board.
Pilot - F/Lt George Frederick Arbuckle RCAF (J/23445).
Bomb Aimer - F/O James Cuthbert Morgan RCAF (J/19828), aged 21, of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/D/20).
Navigator - F/O Gordon Richard Frost RCAF (J/21359).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Donald MacMillan RAFVR (183378).
Air Gunner - P/O George Maurice Preston RAF (55723).
Flight Engineer - Sgt J H Galloway RCAF (R/142895).
Air Gunner - Sgt Murray C Benner RCAF (R/169917).
James Morgan was born on 26th July 1923 at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and was the son of Cuthbert J and Edna J (nee Ready) Morgan. He enlisted for RCAF service straight out of high school on 13th January 1942 in Moncton, New Brunswick. After training in Canada he was awarded his air observer's flying badge on 5th February 1943. Arriving in the UK in Spring 1943 he trained at 9 (O)AFU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 429 Squadron on 9th October 1943. He was then granted a commission on 24th January 1944. He was later posted to 424 Squadron on 25th August 1944.