Halifax BB390 near Ness, Kirkbymoorside.
This 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft crashed landed on 2nd January 1945 near Ness soon after it had taken off from Wombleton for a practice bombing training flight over the Pickering ranges. As the aircraft got to 2000 feet the port outer engine failed, the pilot feathered this and turned back for base. Soon afterwards the starboard outer engine also failed and the aircraft began to loose height rapidly, the undercarriage was then lowered. With returning back to Wombleton now not an option as too much height had been lost at 23.35hrs he crash landed the aircraft on a field a few miles short of the runway near Trowbridge Farm, Ness. The aircraft caught fire and later burnt out and, although the crew had made good their escape, one airman sustained slight injuries. As regard blame, the flight engineer was said to have been at fault for selecting the wrong fuel tanks. This is probably the aircraft crash site from which a Merlin engine is rumoured to have been excavated from the crash site by a group in the 1980s.
Pilot - P/O Richard A Reith RCAF (J/90831).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Tom H Lightly RCAF (R/204915).
Navigator - Sgt Jim R D Baker RCAF (R/202232).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Theodore Neil "Ted" Boehk RCAF (J/41774).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt R C Wilkes RCAF (R/21570).
Air Gunner - Sgt Linc D Johnson RCAF (R/209960).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Sklar RCAF (R/179292).
Left to right. Lightly, Wilks, Boehk, Reith, Sklar, Baker and Johnson (all RCAF). They later went on to serve with 426 Squadron. This photograph is taken from Richard Koval's 6 Group website "www.rcaf.com/6group" and is supplied through Mr D Nicholson, nephew of F/Sgt Johnson.
Ted Boehk died in 1999 and prior to his death he lived in Westville, Nova Scotia, Canada.
