Date & Time:
May 5, 1943 at 0443 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
JD105
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Melbourne - Melbourne
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Melbourne at 2233LT on April 4 on an operation to Dortmund. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and were told to divert to RAF Leeming. Doing so, the bomber crashed on high ground and Sutton Bank and was destroyed. Five crew members were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt R. H. Geddes, pilot,
Sgt Eric Bertram Hill, pilot, †
Sgt W. A. Dunbar, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Cox, navigator, †
Sgt Hubert Stanley Taylor, navigator, †
Sgt Herbert Henry Way, wireless operator, †
Sgt George Frederick Ward, air gunner, †
Sgt K. Hart, air gunner.
Crew:
F/Sgt R. H. Geddes, pilot,
Sgt Eric Bertram Hill, pilot, †
Sgt W. A. Dunbar, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Cox, navigator, †
Sgt Hubert Stanley Taylor, navigator, †
Sgt Herbert Henry Way, wireless operator, †
Sgt George Frederick Ward, air gunner, †
Sgt K. Hart, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
