HUDSON, JOHN HENRY Rank: Flying Officer Trade: Navigator Service No: J/23947 Date of Death: 21/08/1944 Age: 21 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force 415 Sqdn. Grave Reference: Sec. E. Row C. Grave 1. Cemetery: HARROGATE (STONEFALL) CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Archie and Sarah Hudson, of Perth, Ontario, Canada. Casualty Details
Details of the above loss..... 21 August 1944 432 Squadron Halifax III MZ633 QO - X Op. Transit Whilst returning to base from Exeter collided in the air with an accompanying 415 Squadron aircraft (Hailfax III NA609) both aircraft coming down twixt Birkin and West Hadlesey 6 miles south west from Selby in Yorkshire. The five Canadians all belonged to 415 Squadron. Crew. S/L. B E. Wilmot DFC & Bar RCAF + Sgt. N M. Malpass + F/O. J H. Hudson RCAF + P/O. T E. Wiltse RCAF + F?. W R, Eaglestone RCAF + Sgt. J W. Mitchell RCAF + Source - RAF Bomber Command Losses Vol.5 - W R. Chorley.
Also killed aboard MZ633 were Fitters Sgt. R64186 Ernest Henley and Cpl. R87940 William Rodger Dickson.
There's an archived thread relating to this crash on RAFCommands here, which suggests this aircraft collided with the aircraft of the squadron's CO, Wing Commander McNeil DFC, killing both sets of crew. The two crews had flown in one aircraft to collect the other; they were 5 minutes from their base when the accident happened. Pat Edit: Another defunct thread, this time on Bombercrew.forum, gives the crew members (edited again to remove inaccuracies - should've checked first, sorry folks - in rush!
As expected a comprehensive Court of Inquiry Report on the loss of these two aircraft.....always interesting to read and absorb this type of document. I remember seeing the wreck of the Halifax which fell into the large field on the north side of the Birkin-West Haddersley country road on the afternoon following the previous evening when the crash occurred.The wreck site was about 200 yards into the field which I think was stubble and was being guarded by the army with guards equipped with rifles.....Standing Easy. The report clears up one thing and that is the other Halifax crash site....the report reads place of crash as being "3/4 mile west of the village of West Haddlesey on both sides of the West Haddlesey-Birkin Road". I have often thought where did the other aircraft crash....the reason I did not see the crash on the south side of the road is that this stretch of road had a flood bank about 15 feet high which was a flood precaution to counter adjacent River Aire flooding...the flood bank is still there but in 1947 the area suffered badly as it has since from lower River Aire flooding.From that, the second Halifax must have crashed between the flood bank and the north side of the River Aire. Interesting the Court of Inquiry drew attendance from officers of nearby RAF Burn,(No 578 Squadron base operating the Halifax Mark 111,the aircraft involved in the accident) only a few miles north east,across the fields. No indication of which Halifax crashed where. Typos...I notice that the home airfield was recorded as Eastmoor while it should be recorded as RAF East Moor. Halifax MZ 633 is recorded incorrectly as MX 633 in Section 1...Description of Aircraft A comment from a newcomer to No 415 Squadron in mid 1944.....John McQuiston,a pilot quoted that he had been posted to "a sloppy squadron with a morale problem"....a reference is then made to the loss of these two aircraft due to a mid air collision while practise flying (extract from Reap The Whirlwind)
It looks to me that No 415 Squadron at the time was working up as a new Halifax squadron at East Moor wef 26 July 1944,allocated to RCAF No 6 Group. Before then,it would appear that the Squadron had been a RAF squadron within Coastal Command. W/C McNeill was appointed No 415 Squadron Commander a few weeks before his death.
Courtesy Hugh Halliday's "Honour and Awards" McNEILL, F/L John Gordon (J9201) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.426 Squadron - Award effective 6 August 1943 as per London Gazette dated 13 August 1943 and AFRO 1849/43 dated 10 September 1943. Born in Calgary, 15 April 1919; home there. Former member, Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (1934 to RCAF). Enlisted in Kingston, Ontario, 10 June 1940. To No.1 ITS, 24 June 1940; graduated and promoted LAC, 19 July 1940 when posted to No.5 EFTS. His postings and ranks become very peculiar; promoted Corporal “AU” on 23 April 1941; reverts to LAC, 29 August 1941; to No.3 SFTS, 12 September 1941; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 5 December 1941 but then commissioned with effect of same date. To “Y” Depot, 20 December 1941. To RAF overseas, 7 January 1942. Promoted Flying Officer, 1 October 1942. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 15 February 1943. Promoted Squadron Leader, 1 January 1944. Participated in first operation of No.426 Squadron. Subsequently on staff of No.1679 Heavy Conversion Flight. With that unit, 2 September 1943, he took off on 2 September 1943 in Lancaster II DS635 at 2100 hours from Eastmoor for night training. While airborne the port outer engine failed and the crew returned to base. Touched down at 2125 hours, but aircraft swung from runway and lost its undercarriage. It slid to a stop but fire broke out, ultimately destroying the machine. Medal presented by the King during visit to No.6 Group, 11 August 1944. As Wing Commander, killed in flying accident over Yorkshire (mid-air collision, Halifax NA609, No.415 Squadron), 21 August 1944. RCAF photo PL-22702 (ex UK-7558 dated January 1944) shows him soon after promotion to Squadron Leader; caption indicates he was then in No.433 Squadron. Photo PL-22704 (ex UK-7560 dated January 1944) shows W/C C.B. Sinton, DFC (Bermuda, Commanding Officer, Porcupine Squadron), F/L H.T. Patterson (Fredericton, centre) and S/L J.G. McNeill (Calgary). RCAF photo PL-31683 (ex UK-13561 dated 14 August 1944) shows him talking to the King following investiture. .The fine fighting spirit displayed by this officer has been an inspiration to the rest of the squadron. He has taken part in may recent heavy raids on the Ruhr and on one occasion in April 1943 completed his mission successfully although one engine failed while his aircraft was hotly engaged by the defences. As deputy flight commander he has rendered valuable assistance in the operational training of new crews and has contributed much to the high morale maintained in the squadron. DHH file 181.009 D.2624 (Library and Archives Canada RG.24 Volume 20628) has recommendation by W/C L.Crooks drafted 14 June 1943 when he had flown 24 sorties (145 hours 50minutes). Sortie list (similar to that of Flight Sergeant James H. Evans) and submission as follows: 14 January 1943 - Lorient (5.14) 21 January 1943 - Gardening (5.12) 26 January 1943 - Lorient (6.50) 29 January 1943 - Lorient (5.45) 4 February 1943 - Lorient (6.40) 7 February 1943 - Lorient (4.00) 13 February 1943 - Lorient (10.10) 14 February 1943 - Cologne (5.50) 16 February 1943 - Lorient (7.15) 19 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (6.05) 25 February 1943 - Gardening (4.20) 23 March 1943 - Gardening (4.20) 26 March 1943 - Duisburg (5.20) 28 March 1943 - St. Nazaire (6.50) 29 March 1943 - Bochum (5.45) 4 April 1943 - Kiel (6.20) 8 April 1943 - Duisburg (3.51) 10 April 1943 - Frankfurt (7.45) 14 April 1943 - Stuttgart (7.10) 16 April 1943 - Mannheim (8.10) 28 April 1943 - Gardening (5.48) 13 May 1943 - Bochum (5.35) 25 May 1943 - Dusseldorf (5.00) 27 May 1943 - Essen (5.05) 29 May 1943 - Wuppertal (5.50) The fine offensive spirit displayed by this officer has been an inspiration to the rest of the squadron. He has taken part in many of the recent heavy raids on the Ruhr and on one occasion in April carried out his mission in spite of the fact that one engine cut out while he was hotly engaged by the Ruhr defences. As deputy flight commander he has rendered valuable assistance in the operational training of new crews and has at all times contributed to the maintenance of the high level of squadron morale. I recommend the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
