Date: 11/12th April 1943
Unit: No. 23 O.T.U.
Type: Wellington III
Serial: BJ786
Coded: ?
Location: Foley Cote Hill, Ripon, Yorkshire
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Frank Edward Rogers R/131020 R.C.A.F. Age 19. Killed (1)
Nav: Fl/Sgt. Joseph Onesime Thomas A.A.G. Toupin R/117511 R.C.A.F. Age 27. Killed
Nav 2: Fl/Sgt. Alexander Neil MacLellan R/135643 R.C.A.F. Age 27. Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Richard Archbald Killham R/136318 R.C.A.F. Age 20. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Donald Henry Smith R/127875 R.C.A.F. Age 30. Killed (2)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Anthony Alloysius Dorzek R/135853 R.C.A.F. Age 22. Killed
(2) Smith Lake in Saskatchewan is named after Sgt. Smith
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 21.5hrs from Pershore on a night navigation exercise. The reports from the Royal Observer Corps indicate that the Wellington had been flying normally when, without any sign of trouble the aircraft dived into the ground at around 01.30hrs at Foley Cote Hill which is just under 2 miles from Sawley village near Ripon in Yorkshire.
(1) Tragically Fl/Sgt. Frank Edward Rogers older brother - F/O Frederick Lennox Rogers (Also a pilot) was killed, just four months after Frank's death, when his aircraft failed to return from operations against Hamburg.
Left to right: Fl/Sgt. Frank Edward Rogers, Fl/Sgt. Joseph Onesime Thomas A.A.G. Toupin, Fl/Sgt. Alexander Neil MacLellan
(Photo: MacLellan - Courtesy of Inverness Academy Memorial wall via Mike Harrison)
Burial Details:
Frank Edward Rogers Dishforth Cemetery. Grave. 62.
Son of Edward Lennox and Ethel W. of Port Colbome, Ontario, Canada.
Joseph Onesime Thomas A.A.G. Toupin Dishforth Cemetery. Grave. 60.
Son of Thomas and Flore, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
Alexander Neil MacLellan Dishforth Cemetery. Grave. 59.
Son of Ronald A. and Mary Isabella, of New York City, U.S.A.
Richard Archbald Killham Dishforth Cemetery. Grave. 61.
Son of Henry G. and Annie M. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Donald Henry Smith Warwick Cemetery. Sec. 104. Grave 10.
Son of Mr. & Mrs. F.H. Smith of Elfros, Saskatchewan.
Anthony Alloysius Dorzek Dishforth Cemetery. Grave. 58.
Son of Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Dorzek of Renfrew, Ontario.
(2) Frederick Lennox Rogers Runnymede Memorial. Panel 174
Researched by David King (A.R. Society 2009) With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
