HENLEY, ERNEST Rank: Sergeant Service No: R/64186 Date of Death: 21/08/1944 Age: 36 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Grave Reference: Sec. E. Row B. Grave 12. Cemetery: HARROGATE (STONEFALL) CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Sydney T. Henley and Rosa Henley; husband of Ena M. Henley, of Grimsby, Ontario, Canada.Casualty Details
Details of the above loss..... 21 August 1944 415 Squadron Halifax III NA609 Op. Transit Whilst returning to base from Exeter the aircraft collided with an accompanying 432 Squadron Halifax. Crew W/C. J G. NcNeill DFC RCAF + Sgt. T C. Guthrie + F/L. G E. Steel-Davies RCAF + F/L. A H A. McBain DFC RCAF + Sgt. H R W. Fox RCAF + Sgt. R C. Morrison RCAF + Sgt. E. Henley RCAF. Technician + Six crew and one technician of Halifax III MZ633 of 432 Squadron were also lost in this incident
That's very interesting. I saw the crash of this Halifax the next afternoon which would be 22 August 1944.The crash site is about 150 yards into a large field,in which the corn had been cut,ie,it was a stubble field situated on the north side of the rural road between Birkin and West Haddlesey bounded to the south side by the River Aire,close to where where another rural road leads north to Gateforth from West Haddlesey. I cannot recollect where the other Halifax crashed although I think I may have the detail somewhere. Until I did the research,I always thought that the crash occurred in the morning as I saw it,rather than the previous day.An army guard, equipped with rifles had been mounted around the crash equipped with rifles and were still on guard the next day when I came across the crash. Both aircraft in the collision were based at RCAF East Moor which is just north of York and as said were returning to base from RAF Exeter.The other Halifax was thought to be operated by No 415 Squadron although it appears to have been on the strength of No 432 Squadron,also based at East Moor.I think the aircraft must have been diverted to Exeter on returning from ops....diversions were quite common as were the urge of aircrew to return to home bases as soon as possible....some with tragic results while flying in what was protected airspace. Stonefall Cemetery on the Harrogate-Wetherby road was the chosen site for many RCAF No 6 Group burials as research into the burial location of these RCAF casualties testifies.
I have only just found out about this cousin of my grandmother. He was born in Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staffordshire, and emigrated to Canada in 1921. I am stunned to think that he died back in England. It is so touching to see a photograph of his as well. I am pretty sure that my mother did not know about him, but I will ask her when I see her next. My grandmother kept in touch with most of her family branches abroad, but she never mentioned the cousins by her uncle Sidney Thomas Henley. Thanks you so much for sharing all of this information.
Hello Angella welcome to the forum. I haven't been able to find his service records on the Canadian online archives maybe Alieneyes will be able to help you there but I know and have just read through them on Ancestry so if no one can add the link to the Canadian archives I will download his files for you if you would like. Regards Mike.
