On 29 May 2016 at 3pm, we unveiled our memorial in St Peters Church, Humbleton in memory of the eight crewmen who died in an incident whilst on their last training exercise. The service was led by Reverend Susan Walker and was attended by over 80 people including representatives from The British Legion, local cadets from NCOiC 298 (Hornsea) Squadron, the vice-chair of East Riding of Yorkshire Council - Mrs Caroline Fox and her son Mr Robert Fox, ward councillors John Holtby and Brian Skow. Readers included Digby Harris, Reverend Jon Wright, Peter Ainscough, Chris Brazier, Harry Buck, Father Bill Ryan, Jane Hart and Helena Stannard. The cadets were involved in the lighting of 3 candles for healing, forgiveness and peacemaking and eight smaller ones for each crewman. Mr Robert Denton played the organ for all the hymns and entrance and recessional music.
The incident
On the night of 23rd / 24th May 1943, this aircraft took off from Wigsley airfield at 23.23 hours for a night Bullseye training flight combined with a fighter affiliation exercise.
The plane had a unit code UG and the call sign was probably D (on the aircraft it would have been shown as UG-D. The 1654 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) were based at Wigsley.
Such Bullseye training flights were carried out by Heavy Conversion Flight aircrews when they were nearing the end of their training course and involved the crew navigating to a British town or city, and then to undertake a simulated bombing run on a target. The flights also tested the ground units in the specific town or city in range setting of their equipment, and also in practicing with other equipment.
Whilst flying at around 10,000 feet in the area North-East of Hull just after 03.00 hours on 24th May, the aircraft was illuminated by a number of searchlights. Being coned in searchlights generally resulted in anti-aircraft guns being fired into the cone of light towards the aircraft.
To avoid a case of ‘friendly-fire’, the ground units in the Hull area would have expected the Lancaster to drop a coloured recognition flare around the time it was illuminated. However the ground units later stated that a flare was dropped much later after severe evasive action had been taken.
The violent evasive action taken by the crew to try and evade the searchlights resulted in failing of the two tail fins. This, in turn, eventually caused the complete break-up of the aircraft in the air. It crashed over an area of around 1.5 miles in length near the village of Humbleton at 03.08 hours and sadly all eight airmen in the aircraft were killed.
Only one of the crew, we believe, has surviving descendants – Geoffrey Bryde – a daughter Audrey, resident in Australia. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the crewmen in a letter dated 5 October 1987 (attached).
The crew
Pilot – Pilot Officer Geoffrey Nigel James Bryde RAAF (414195), aged 30, of Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia, buried Brandesburton Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Geoffrey Bryde was born on 17th September 1912 in Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria. He was working as a school teacher when he enlisted into the RAAF on 17th August 1941 in Brisbane and was living in the village of Woodenbong, New South Wales. After basic training Geoffrey was awarded his Wings on 2nd April 1942 and later left Australia for the UK in July 1942. On arriving in England he trained at 3 (Pilot)Advanced Flying Unit from 1st September 1942, 26 Operational Training Unit (OTU) from 27th October 1942, 29 OTU from 16th December 1942 and 1654 Conversion Unit (CU) from 26th April 1943. He received his commission on 9th May 1943.
Geoffrey was the son of Alexander Malcolm John and Amy Evelyn Bryde. Geoffrey married Lily Westward (1910-1936) in May 1936. He then married Betty Ahearn, of Fairfield, NSW.
Geoffrey had a sister, Heather Mary O’Shannessy (1914 – 2012), who married William George O’Shannessy (1905-1981). They had 3 children – William (Bill) Frederick (1941-2009), who was married with three children: Patricia Joy (1944- ) living in Glenmore Park NSW and married to Grahame Henry Bills (deceased) with 2 children Kirrille and Deanne Gibb; and Robyn Kay (1947- ) who resides in Cambridge Gardens, NSW and married John Patrick Bellingham and has 3 children – Peter (1975), Shayne (1977) and Brett (1980).
Betty Bryde remarried Norman Thompson in June 1944 and up to 1980 lived in the Wollongong area.
Geoffrey had a daughter (Audrey Grace) born in February 1942, who married Bruce William Flood in 1964, and they have 4 children – Andrew, Catriona, Michael & Peter. Audrey has visited the UK, specifically her father’s grave at Brandesburton.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Colin Alexander Nelson RAAF (5553), aged 23, of Northcote, Victoria, Australia, buried Brandesburton Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Colin Nelson was born on 26th March 1920 in Northcote, Victoria, Australia and enlisted into the RAAF in Laverton, Victoria.
Colin had a brother who served in the Australian Army, and was the son of Charles Frederick Nicholas and Elsie Emmaline Nelson, of Northcote, Victoria.
Bomb Aimer - Sergeant James Henry Roy Harper RAFVR (1393719), aged 21, and buried in Streatham Park Cemetery, Surrey.
James was born in the first quarter of 1922 in Lambwath, and his mother’s maiden name was Simpkin.
Air Gunner - Sergeant Donald Fred Smith RAFVR (1272560), aged 22, of Pentlow, Essex and buried in Pentlow Churchyard, Essex.
Donald was 22 and the son of Eddie John Harry Smith and of Edith Mary Ann Smith (nee Cardy) of Pentlow, who were married in 1911 in Risbridge, Suffolk.
Navigator – Pilot Officer Sergeant John Albert Walker DFM RAFVR (145851), aged 24, and buried Layton Cemetery, Blackpool, Lancashire.
John was the son of Percival Vaughan Walker and Adelaid Berridge Walker. Percival was born in Sheffield, but lived in Blackpool.
John was a Sergeant with 106 Squadron and gazetted on 15 June 1943, having completed 30 sorties and clocked over 201 flying hours.
John Walker was awarded the Distinguised Flying Medal (DFM) for service with 106 Squadron. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 6th April 1943 but notification of this was printed in the London Gazette after his death on 15th June 1943.
The DFM was quoted as “Sergeant Walker has shown great ability and enthusiasm throughout his operational tour and that such excellent results have been obtained by his crew is due in very great measure to his exemplary work. Throughout the inclement weather months he has navigated his aircraft with consistent accuracy to targets all over Germany. He has navigated to Berlin on three occasions and Essen four times and to many other targets including some in Italy. In addition, three long minelaying sorties to the Baltic were completed successfully due very largely to his brilliant navigation. Sergeant Walker is outstanding amongst the squadron's navigators and his work is deserving of the highest praise.”
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sergeant William Neill McMullan RAFVR (1088074), aged 21, of Belfast and buried at Belfast City Cemetery, Northern Ireland.
William’s parents were Frederick (d. 1937) & Annie Ward McMullan (d.1960), with whom he is buried in the family plot in Belfast. Frederick & Annie had 3 boys – Hugh who died at the age of 10, Joseph (1918-1997) and William.
Navigator – Flying Officer Fulliott Victor Polehill Turner RAFVR (130700), aged 28, of St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex and buried in Hellingly Cemetery, Sussex grave 205/244.
Fulliott Turner was born on 29th October 1914, he was the elder son of Dr Oliver and Mrs Amy Charlotte Turner (nee Keysell) of 119 Marina, St Leonards-on-Sea. He attended Lancing College between 1928 and 1932, where he was in the Manor House. Fulliott was appointed as House Captain in 1932 and gained his School Certificate in 1931. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps where he achieved Certificate A in 1932.
During the war he received his commission in the RAFVR rising to the rank of Acting Corporal before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) on 20th October 1942 and was promoted to Flying Officer on 20th April 1943. After his initial training he was posted to 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Wigsley for final training on heavy bombers.
Fulliott had a brother, Robert David Polehill Turner (1917 – 1967). Robert married Pamela Mary Lowe in March 1951 in Shrewsbury and there were two children– Patricia Ann (1955 - 1991) and Michael DP born 1957.
Patricia Turner married a William K Spensley in 1977 in Shrewsbury. William Spensley remarried Angela Martin in 1996 in Tavistock, Cornwall, and is currently living in Newton Abbot, Devon.
Patricia had three children – Thomas (an air traffic controller), David (hotel manager) and James, who is currently with the RAF based in Yorkshire. Michael Turner lives in Brighton with his partner Lili and has two children – Emily & Patrick.
Air Gunner - F/O Lancelot Herbert Parker RAFVR (132041), aged 27, of Bath, Somerset and buried in Bath (St. Michael's) Cemetery, Somerset.
Lancelot Parker received his commission on 24th October 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O on 24th April 1943.
Lancelot was the son of Arthur Herbert and Daisy Parker of Bath.
The Plaque
The plaque is situated in St Peter's Church, Humbleton underneath the World War I memorial. It is a brass plaque 40cm x 40cm and includes the RAF emblem. The Parish Council had to apply for a faculty from the Diocese of York to allow the fitting of the memorial to take place. The Parish Council purchased the plaque - using the supplier Signs Express from Hull.
Picture showing Reverend Susan Walker and Parish Clerk, Vanessa Nolan next to the new plaque (situated beneath the World War 1 Memorial).
Representatives from The British Legion including John Towers, Branch Present, George Atkinson, Standard Bearer, Jacky Towers, Branch Chair, Judy Stephenson, Gilbert Warley, Standard Bearer, Air Commodore Chris Brazier (retd), Mr Robert Fox and Mrs Caroline Fox - Vice-chair of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and cadets from NCOiC 298 (Hornsea) Squadron.
The Service
A copy of the service sheet is included here. The readings were Isaiah 2, 1-5 read by Digby Harris (St Peter's Church parishioner) and Revelations 21, 1-4 read by Reverend Jon Wright (St Augustines Church, Hedon). The poems were Last Words of an Airman by Claire Bernhardt read by Peter Ainscough (St Mary and St Joseph's Catholic Church parishioner) and High Flight by RCAF Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee read by Air Commodore CEJ Brazier CBE RAF (Retd). The prayers used are seen here read by Father Bill Ryan (St Mary & St Joseph's Catholic Church parish priest).