Mumby Halifax Memorial

Date: 1st September 1942 (Tuesday)

Unit: 405 (Vancouver) Squadron RCAF

Type: Handley Page Halifax II

Base: RAF Topcliffe, Yorkshire.

Location: Near Chapel St.Leonards, Lincolnshire

Pilot: Flt.Sgt. Norman Angus MacKenzie R86313 RCAF Age 27. Killed (1)

Flt.Eng: Sgt. James Alexander RAFVR Injured

Nav: Plt.Off. Edgar Bohun Mason J7777 RCAF Age 28. Injured (2)

Air Bmr: Sgt. Joseph Anthony Kaucharik C85909 RCAF 23. Injured

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Clarence Gordon Eagles R83536 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Air Gnr: Sgt. Harold Stone 1267726 RAFVR Age 20. Killed (3)

Air Gnr: Flt.Sgt. Louis Donald Dawdy R90329 RCAF Age 26. Missing (4)

Taking off from RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire at 23:03 hrs. Just after crossing the coast at 23:44 hrs, the port outer engine caught fire and although the blaze was quelled, structural failure of the port wing followed and the order to bale out was given. At least two of the airman fell into the sea and drowned, while the Halifax crashed at 23:58 hrs at Chapel St. Leonards, 5 miles NNW of of Skegness, Lincolnshire.

ome of the crew: L-R- Fg.Off. Joseph Anthony Kaucharik, Sgt. Harold Stone, Flt.Sgt. Norman Angus MacKenzie, Flt.Sgt. Louis Donald Dawdy, Plt.Off. Edgar Bohun Mason, Sgt. Clarence Gordon Eagles and Sgt. James R. Alexander. (with thanks to Lynn (nee Mason) Tarzwell, Lincolnshire County Council Coastal Country Park, Henry Kaucharik)

THE MEMORIAL CEREMONY:

On the 4th September 2004 a memorial was unveiled in the village of Mumby. Relatives travelled from Ontario for the impressive and poignant ceremony. Many dignitaries attended including Major Marvin Mungeone of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Group Captain John Ford, Squadron Leader John Wright. The service was conducted by the Rev. Daffyd Robinson in the blazing sunshine in the corner of a cornfield.

A Mr. David Hill (the main organizer of the event) thanked all who attended and recalled the events told by his mother who was 36 at the time of the crash:

"On the night of the 1st September 1942, we lived at Field Farm, Langham. Between 11 pm and 12 pm we had retired to bed and there was such a roar of noise and our bedroom was lit up as a plane roared by, very low and on fire.

Not many minutes after there was such a roar and a crash and rattling of milk churns and a heavy thud and we all thought that our end had come!

There was a trail of fire in the fields as we looked out, we knew then that a plane had crashed. My husband went out and a plane wing was in a field - about 25 yards from our back door. A big blaze of fire about half a mile away was where the rest of the plane had hit the ground.

After a short time the airman who had landed in a field of peas (cut and in rows) thinking that he was landing in the sea, came over to our door. He had hurt himself on landing. He was very concerned about his three pals still in the plane. He was the last to survive - Gordon Eagles was found in our field of Swedes - his parachute had caught fire and so he was killed by the fall.

We found pieces of metal on our front lawn. Also my husband walked to the spot that night, where Gordon was killed and found his gold watch. The works had come out of the gold case but I carefully put them together and wound it up and the watch ticked away. On the back of this watch was his name and it was a 21st birthday present from his mum and dad. I took the watch to the police station and also wrote to Topcliffe and asked for Gordon's home address. I would have liked to have written to his parents but this was not allowed.

About 7am a medical officer, driven by a WAAF came and they picked up Plt.Off. Mason from Moybray's of Anderby and he had some of Mr. Mowbray's clothes and a dressing gown. We were able to give these people a good breakfast. In the afternoon, at about 5 pm an ambulance collected the body of Gordon Eagles."

Above and below photographs courtesy of Mr. Paul Pepper, Honorary Poppy Appeal Organiser for Thirsk and District.

"This window and the north west window have been renewed in memory of Sgt. Harold Stone, rear gunner and fellow members of his crew killed in action 2 Sept 1942" (3)

The Wing Commander wrote to the parents of the pilot:

The letter concluded with the sincere sympathy of the officers and members of the Squadron.

Local remembrance and memorial support

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

IWM War Memorials Register entry for the Halifax BB216 (LQ-D) memorial at Mumby, Lincolnshire.

IWM memorial reference 54024

Photographic record of the memorial to the crew of Halifax II BB216 at Mumby, showing the granite plaque unveiled on 4 December 2004.

Granite plaque memorialUnveiled 4 December 2004Relatives travelled from Ontario for ceremony

International war heritage entry for the Halifax BB216 crash memorial at Mumby with location and context details.

Documented on international heritage database

Parish council history page referencing the 405 Squadron RCAF crash memorial as part of Mumby's local heritage.

Memorial integrated into parish history narrative