ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 270915
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| Date: | Monday 18 December 1944 |
| Time: | 02:23 |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 425 (Alouette) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | MZ538 |
| MSN: | KW-V |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1.5 miles from RAF Tholthorpe near Alne -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Tholthorpe |
| Duisburg |
Aircraft took off normally at full weight of 65,000lbs then inexplicably crashed 1 minute later from an altitude of 500 feet and exploded on impact. Subsequent investigation could not determine a definite cause for the crash.
The Canadian members of the crew were buried on 21 December 1944.
Crew
Pilot: J/87112 Fg Off Joseph Raymond Jean Marie Desmarais RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 9.
Fight Engineer: 186889 Plt Off Joseph Blackburn - Carlisle (Dalton Road) Cemetery Ward 14 Section N Grave 51.
Navigator: Fg Off Joseph Wilfred Laurier Fernando Bernier DFC RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 10.
Bomb Aimer: J/88921 Plt Off Joseph Rosaire Jean Charles Labrecque RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 11.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: J/88326 Plt Off Joseph Edward Lawrence Dubois RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 13.
Mid Under Gunner: R/62838 Flt Sgt Joseph Maurice Paradis RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 14.
Mid Upper Gunner: R/135028 Flt Sgt Joseph Rene Lariviere RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 15.
Rear Gunner: J/90899 Plt Off Raymond Charles Gauthier RCAF - Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery Section G Row D Grave 12.
Sources:
425 Sqn RCAF war time records from RCAF historical microfilms
Personnel records of all 8 crew members from RCAF DND Archives Canada
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/ParadieArchiveDatabase/?q=mz538&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york44/mz538.html
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=mz538&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Dec-2021 17:16 | tachel | Added |
| 25-Apr-2022 11:57 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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