Date:	Friday 19 June 1942
Time:	c. 14:20
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	289 Sqn RAF
Registration:	N1569
MSN:	122
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Moray Firth, North of Elgin, Invernesshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland
Destination airport:	RAF Dalcross, Inverness, Scotland

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.II N1569/'YE-V', 289 Squadron RAF Dalcross, Inverness. Written off (destroyed) 19 June 1942. Engine failed on army co-op flight to Lossiemouth, 500 feet over Moray Firth, north of Elgin. Two explosions were heard from the engine followed by severe vibration. The crew bailed out. According to the following extract from the 289 Squadron Operational Record Book (ORB) for the period (File AIR 27/1625 - see link #3):

"Turnhouse
19 June 1942
"...An accident occurred at Inverness which cost the Squadron the life of one of its Air Gunners. Sgt. MUNRO took off on a co-operational Flight, his Air Gunner being Sgt. CHRISTIAN, in Defiant N1569. When the machine reached about 500 ft, and was over the Moray Firth, there was an explosion from the engine, and although the pilot throttled back and opened up again there was another explosion and the aircraft vibrated violently. Both occupants baled out, Sgt. MUNRO being saved suffering from shock, but Sgt. CHRISTIAN was killed, it being believed that he struck some part of the machine when abandoning it. Sgt. CHRISTIAN was a native of New Zealand, and was posted to 289 Squadron from No. 2 Signals School in December"

Pilot: Sgt Murray Munroe RAFVR - safe with shock and slight injuries.
Wireless Op./Air Gunner: Sgt Henry Lisle Christian NZ41572 RNZAF age 26 - did not survive, killed on active service 26 June 1942. Henry Christian is buried at Inverness ( Tomnahurich ) Cemetery. R.I.P.

Sgt Murray Munro survived WW2 and by 1957 was working and living in Birmingham.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1977 p 9)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/15123: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17386622
3. 289 Squadron ORB for the period 1/6/1941 to 30/6/1945: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/1625: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2504267
4. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/4029276/henry-lisle-christian/
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=N1569
6. https://aircrewremembered.com/munroe-henry-lisle.html
7. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_IOM_Scotland_and_NI.pdf
8. https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C22081
9. https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/henry-lisle-christian
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_Firth

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Feb-2008 13:50	JINX	Added
04-Feb-2008 00:28	JINX	Updated
20-Apr-2015 05:22	Angel dot comma	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source]
23-Nov-2021 16:02	pietrzak	Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative]