Halifax JB926
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Halifax JB 926
Halifax JB926 crashed on the night of November 23 1943 with the loss of all on board. Photo above shows the pool of remaining fragments with the memorial stone. Beyond are the crags, popular with climbers.
Grid reference SE 139 819 (just by the climbers’ path to the crags)
The aircraft took off from RAF Ricall on a navigation exercise along with another 5 of 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit’s 32 Halifax bombers.
The cause of the crash was the build up of ice on the airframe; the aircraft had started to break up in mid air and plummeted to the ground killing all crew instantly.
Of the 6 Halifax bombers of 1658 HCU in the air that night, DT578 also crashed on Great Whernside (about 10 miles from Slipstone Crags) with the loss of all on board in similar circumstances, while DT541 managed to land back at RAF Riccall but swung round on the ground, crashed and caught fire. All of DT541’s crew managed to escape.
CREW
Sgt Richard Ernest Charles Bacon RAFVR, Pilot
Sgt George Heathcote Manley RAFVR, Flight Engineer
Sgt James Titterington RAFVR, Flight Engineer
F/O Henry McCarthy RAFVR, Navigator
F/Sgt John James MacGillivray RCAF, Bomb Aimer
Sgt Basil Frank Taylor RAFVR, Wireless Operator / Air Gunner
Sgt Alexander John Winton RAFVR, Air Gunner
Sgt David Elwyn Phillips RAFVR, Air Gunner
Below; Crash site of Halifax DT578 on Great Whernside.
TITTERINGTON James. Sergeant, Flight Engineer 1796161. He was the son of Robert and Sarah of Belfast. He is at rest in Dundonald Cemetery, Dundonald, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Alexander Winton youngest son of Charles and Elsie is buried beside them in Myrus Cemetery Macduff, Scotland.
we visited the site today shown the way by a kind resident who had been told by an elderly neighbour that 2 people survived the crash. They had tea and gooseberry tart whilst they awaited help.
This contradicts all records of the crash but it makes you wonder where the story came from, this being a remote area where something this big would be well remembered.
Interesting. I shall have a look around, see if I can find more about that. Thanks for your visit and comment Margaret.
Is the caption on the first photo correct? It says JB929.
Well spotted, thanks Rob, have amended that now.
Ian