On the evening of the 5th March 1945 the crew of this 425 Squadron aircraft took off from Tholthorpe airfield at 16.47hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Chemnitz. By 17.00hrs it was still flying in the general area of the airfield in order to gain height and also to await the time when all the squadron aircraft were to head away on the operational flight together. When the aircraft was flying in the area just south of Linton on Ouse airfield it collided in the air with 426 Squadron Halifax PN228 that was also climbing and flying in the general area of that airfield to await the time for all 426 Squadron aircraft to set out. Both aircraft fell to the ground in the area to the north west side of Nun Monkton, one member of the crew of MZ845 managed to bale out before it crashed near Widdington Manor, the aircraft was totally destroyed as a result of the crash. Halifax PN228 crashed close to Carlton Farm, around 3/4 mile away from MZ845 but the bomb load immediately exploded on impact and destroyed the aircraft, scattering it over a wide area. An investigation into the collision was carried out and it was found that the port outer propeller of Halifax MZ845 damaged the port wing and aileron of Halifax PN228, striking it from below and causing to break off when it bent upward. There were numerous other flying accidents in Yorkshire on this night caused by severe unforecast icing conditions in clouds over the Vale of York around the time of this accident, although it was not totally proven it was possible that both or one of the aircraft had iced up causing control and height to be lost. As PN228 struck MZ845 on its way down I would suggest that PN228 had certainly partly iced up and given the shear number of aircraft in the air prior to every 6 Group operational flight I find it remarkable that collisions were not a more regular occurance.
Two member of female staff of the British Red Cross Society, based at Kirk Hammerton Hall, witnessed the crash and being ambulance drivers they took an ambulance as far as they could get to the crash site of one of the two Halifaxes, almost certainly that of Halifax MZ845. Unfortunately due to the wet ground the vehicle became bogged down but they continued to the crash site on foot, ignoring warnings of other people who had gathered near the site that the aircraft would probably have bombs on boards the two ladies went into the wreckage and dragged the bodies of at least two airmen clear of the flames, though five is also quoted. For their actions Mrs Olive Elsie Payne and Mrs Viola Mary Cosgrave were both awarded the British Empire Medal, Gazetted on 16th October 1945. The joint citation for their award states that.. "An aircraft crashed and caught fire. Mrs. Cosgrave and Mrs. Payne raced ahead across country from an ambulance which had become bogged half a mile from the wreck, dashed into the burning debris of the aircraft and dragged two men from the flames. Mrs. Cosgrave and Mrs. Payne showed courage and devotion to duty without regard for their own safety." The aircraft MZ845 collided with (Halifax PN228) exploded on impact so it is unlikely that this was the crash site that they attended. On this night the recommendation file for their award relates to the events of this night in detail and states that a further airman was rescued from a crashed aircraft by another BRCS member, I would speculate that this was the survivor from Halifax LW210 that crashed in York.
Pilot - P/O Mark Sylvester Harold Anderson RCAF (J/92728), aged 23, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/H/12).
Flight Engineer - P/O Joseph Donat Fernard Eugene Roy RCAF (J/94670), aged 22, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/H/15).
Navigator - P/O Joseph Emile Roland Beaudry RCAF (J/94216), aged 21, of Quebec City, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/H/13).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Ronald Edward Oscar Charron RCAF (J/40447), aged 22, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/H/11).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Joseph Louis Paul Seguin RCAF (R/171212), aged 21, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/H/8).
Air Gunner - P/O Joseph Louis Gaston Pelletier RCAF (J/94603), aged 20, of Point-aux-Trembles, Quebec, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (G/H/14).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt A J (Arthur?) DeCruyenaere RCAF (R/177985). Uninjured, baled out.
Mark Anderson was born on 18th September 1921 at Montreal, Quebec, Canada and was the son of John Joseph and Leczinska Mary (nee Plante) Anderson. After leaving school he worked for the Canadian National Telegraphs. He had enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 14th June 1940 for general duties, initially serving as an RCAF guard but remustered as aircrew in late 1942 and after training was awarded his pilots' flying badge on 12th November 1943. He arrived in the UK in April 1944 and over the next few months trained at 3 (P)AFU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU. He received a commission on 15th November 1944 and was posted to 425 Squadron on 19th December 1944.
Joseph Roy was born on 11th April 1922 at Hull, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Ernest and Florence (nee Giroux) Roy. The family lived in Quebec until the mid 1930s when they moved to Toronto, Ontario and his father died in 1939. After leaving high school he attended technical college in Toronto prior to staring work as a cable splicer at the De Havilland aircraft factory. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 9th September 1943 and after training in Canada was awarded his flight engineers' flying badge on 20th May 1944. On arrival in the UK he trained at No.4 School of Technical Training, 1666 HCU and 1659 HCU before posting to 425 Squadron on 19th December 1944. He appears to have received a back dated commission to before his death, dated 4th March 1945. His brother Roland Roy RCAF (R/190954) served in the RCAF overseas.
Joseph Beaudry was born on 10th June 1923 at Trois-Rivierres, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Raymond and Annette Beaudry. After leaving school he worked as an office clerk. He enlisted for RCAF service on 28th May 1942 and after training in Canada was awarded his Air Observer's flying badge on 17th September 1943. On arrival in the UK in 1944 he trained at 3 (O)AFU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 425 Squadron on 19th December 1944. He then received a commission on 16th February 1945.
Ronald Charron was born on 30th November 1922 at Windsor, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Oscar and Azalma (nee Pillon) Charron. After leaving high school he studied at technical college for a year before starting work for the Chrysler Corporation in Windsor. He enlisted for RCAF service on 20th October 1942 in Windsor and after training was awarded his air bombers' flying badge and also a commission on 14th January 1944.
Joseph Seguin was born on 19th March 1923 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Henri and Nellie Seguin. Both his parents were born in the USA. When he enlisted for RCAF service he was working for the Munderloh Electrical Supply company in Montreal. He enlisted on 26th June 1942 in Montreal and after training was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 10th March 1944. On arrival in the UK a few weeks later he too trained at 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 425 Squadron on 19th December 1944 with this crew.
Joseph Pelletier was born on 5th November 1924 at Lachine, Quebec, Canada and was the son of Adrien and Jeaane (nee Lepage) Pelletier. His father died when he was a young man and his mother remarried Frederic Lefebvre. Joseph was working in a fur factory when he enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 3rd September 1943. After training he was awarded his air gunners' flying badge on 10th March 1944. On arrival in the UK he too trained at 22 OTU and 1659 HCU before posting to 425 Squadron on 19th December 1944. He received a back dated commission after his death, dated to 4th March 1945.
I would also like to include some basic information on the two BRCS ambulance drivers because although they were not successful in saving any lives I think that they deserve more modern recognition than has ever been given to them. Viola Cosgrave was born Viola Hosdell in early 1913 in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and was the daughter of John Tuke and Viola (nee Wellsted) Hosdell. Her mother sadly died shortly after her birth with the family living at Boreas Hill, Hedon. As a young woman she was an active member of the Holderness Hunt. She married Leslie Andrew McSherry at Burstwick Church in the Summer of 1939. Leslie McSherry was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and as a young man played ice hockey to a high standard. He travelled to the UK in 1936 and joined the RAF in early 1937, receiving a Short Service Commission on 3rd May 1937. At the time of their marriage Leslie was stationed at Leconfield airfield and was serving with 166 Squadron, I presume that they had met locally in East Yorkshire while he was serving with 166 Squadron. The photograph shown above is of Viola and Leslie McSherry on their wedding day. 166 Squadron would leave Leconfield for an airfield in the South of England a few months later and it then disbanded on 6th April 1940 with their personnel being absorbed into 10 OTU. Two days later on 8th April 1940 F/O McSherry was killed flying / ferrying the 10 OTU Whitley K8957 from 10 OTU (based at Abingdon) to Jurby airfield when the aircraft iced up at 8,000 feet and he lost control, one member of the crew managed to bale out but he and three others were killed when the aircraft crashed near Long Marston airfield in Warwickshire. Twenty six year old F/O Leslie Andrew McSherry RAF (39640) was buried under Viola's arrangements at Burstwick Churchyard where they had married just months earlier. Technically he was a member of 10 OTU but his unit on the CWGC database still shows his as being with 166 Squadron. She then married Philip Cosgrave in Lincoln in 1942 and they would later have two sons. Searching the English death register she appears to have died in the Windsor area in 1962 at the young age of just 49.
Olive Payne I have struggled to find anything about, she may have been one of two ladies. An Olive E Anderson married Joseph Payne in Brentford in 1943, or an Olive E Maxworthy married a William G Payne in Hammersmith in 1943. The recommendation for her B.E.M. states that she was twenty two years old but the births of neither of these young ladies fit for being her as both appear to have been born in 1921. The home address given for Mrs Olive Payne B.E.M. is Kimbolton (Hunts), actually Cambridgeshire.