Date: 16th April 1945
Unit: No. 432 Squadron R.C.A.F.
Type: Halifax VII
Serial: NP805
Coded: QO-J
Location: East Moor, Yorkshire, England.
Pilot: Flying Officer. William Howard Porritt. J/86081. Killed.
Ground crew: L.A.C. Joseph Donat Marcel Bedard. R/177118. Killed.
Ground crew L.A.C. Regis Fernand Charbonneau. R/268734. Killed.
REASON FOR LOSS
Took-Off at 1210 from East Moor possibly with control locks still in place. At high speed the Halifax careered off the runway and crashed into trees, bursting into flames. Eye witness, Flying Officer Len Jorgenson of Morris, Manitoba provided the following account:
The Halifax was taking off from RCAF Station East Moor at noon, for a X-country flight prior to operations that night and had a full gas load of 1400 gallons but no bombs. At the end of the runway there was a low semi-flat roofed building (Picket Post) where LAC Charbonneau and LAC Beddard were sunbathing in the spring sunshine and watching the take-offs. The aircraft was barely airborne when the pilot yelled that the rudders and controls were locked and to prepare for a crash. The under carriage hit the building killing the two LACs, the Halifax crashed and burst into flames. F/O Porritt was killed but the rest of the crew got out safely except for F/S K Davidson who spent two years in hospital, so serious were his injuries. I think a few of us have nightmares over that one. I also wonder why the controls were frozen. Most controls on the aircraft had V shaped pieces of wood with red flags inserted to prevent the control surfaces from flapping in the wind. Did we forget to take out these inserts or were they taken off by someone?... F/S Davidson the Flight Engineer, was thrown to the front of the aircraft in the crash. Through the flames he saw the pilot was buckled up and either unconscious or dead. Davidson tried to pull him out but he was stuck, and the flames were burning him severely. (From They Shall Grow Not Old, Allison and Hayward, Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum Inc.)
Ground crews watch helplessly as NP805 burns at the end of the runway.
LAC Joseph Bedard - one of the ground crew kiled in this accident
Burial Details:
Flying Officer. William Howard Porritt. J/86081. Sec H. Row J. Grave 14
Son of H C M Porritt and Ethel B Porritt of Cookstown, Ontario, Canada.
L.A.C. Joseph Donat Marcel Bedard. R/177118. Sec H. Row J. Grave 13
Son of Emile and Gabrielle Bedard of Lac aux Sables, Portneufco, Province of Quebec, Canada.
L.A.C. Regis Fernand Charbonneau. R/268734. Sec H. Row J. Grave 15
Son of Emile and Irena Charbonneau of St. Augustin des deux Montagnes, Province of Quebec, Canada.
All three airmen were laid to rest at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery.
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", The superb work of the C.W.G.C. Purchase these research books "HERE"
