On the night of 10th / 11th August 1944 a crew of 415 Squadron had flown Halifax MZ633 on an operational flight to bomb U-Boat pens at La Pallice, France. Just before reaching the target area the aircraft's port outer engine caught fire so the crew jettisoned the bombload to make the aircraft lighter. Fortunately the fire went out after the propeller was feathered and the engine was shut down. As a precaution the crew landed the damaged aircraft at Exeter and I assumed that the pilot (F/O Gue) and his crew returned to East Moor by train as they flew Ops in another Halifax two days later. The damaged engine was replaced at Exeter and word was given to 415 Squadron that the aircraft was ready to collect by 21st August 1944.

On the morning of 21st August 1944 Halifax NA609 took off from East Moor with a crew of six, plus a second crew of six to fly MZ633 back to East Moor, plus possibly two members of ground crew to check the repaired aircraft. The pilot of NA609 was the Commanding Officer of 415 Squadron while A-Flight's commanding officer was to fly MZ633. The weather on 21st August 1944 was described in the 415 Squadron record book as being overcast, cold and with showers of rain. All appears to have gone without incident on the trip down to Exeter where the repaired aircraft was signed over to them. During the afternoon they set out back for East Moor. NA609 carried a crew of six plus one of the groundcrew passengers. MZ633 carried a crew of six plus the other groundcrew passenger. Each groundcrew passenger probably sat in the empty mid upper gun turret. They flew in a close formation and by 18.20hrs they had reached the Selby area. An area of cloud was present above 1500 feet and the aircraft appear to have entered it. The two aircraft collided and then broke up in the air roughly between the villages of West Haddlesey and Birkin. Photographs of the crash site exist in Canadian archives and appear to show that parts of both aircraft were spread over a reasonably wide area. Sadly all fourteen airmen were killed in the resulting crashes. One suggestion for the collision occurring was put down to a propeller of Halifax NA609 breaking off leading to the damaged aircraft then swinging into Halifax MZ633. A detailed examination followed of the crash sites and it was found that the starboard aileron of Halifax MZ633 was found on the ground with the Browning machine gun from nose of Halifax NA609 sticking through it indicating that the nose of NA609 had struck the rear portion of the starboard wing of MZ633. Meaning that MZ633 was flying as a lead aircraft and NA609 had formated up to that lead aircraft, so when the propeller dropped off NA609 a swing would initially occur and with the two aircraft being so close together there was no time to avoid a collision with the lead aircraft.

Pilot - W/Co John Gordon McNeill DFC RCAF (J/9201), aged 25, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/B/19).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Crerar Guthrie RAFVR (3020081), aged 19, of Edinburgh. Cremated Warriston, Edinburgh.

Navigator - F/Lt George Everette Steel-Davies RCAF (J/22138), aged 26, of Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/B/20).

Bomb Aimer - F/Lt Andrew Harold Adelbert McBain DFC RCAF (J/23638), aged 26, of Camrose, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/B/18).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Herbert Ronald Wilkinson Fox RCAF (J/90471), aged 24, of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/B/15).

Air Gunner - Sgt Richard Cecil Morrison RCAF (R/121748), aged 24, of Camrose, Alberta. Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/B/17).

Air Gunner - Sgt James Walton Mitchell RCAF (R/121261), aged 24, of Twin Butte, Alberta, Canada. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (E/B/16).

John McNeill was born in Calgary on 15th April 1919 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and was the son of John Abraham and Ethel May (nee Parslow) McNeill. As a young man he worked on his father's farm before joining the Canadian army in 1935, serving in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. He was granted a discharge from his army unit in 1940 and enlisted for RCAF service in Kingston, Ontario on 10th June 1940. Having then undertaken pilot training in Canada he was awarded his Pilot's Flying Badge on 5th December 1941. He was also awarded a commission on the same date as his Wings. On arrival in the UK in early 1942 he was firstly posted to No.1 Flying Instructor School, he then trained at 14 (P)AFU and 22 OTU before posting to 426 Squadron on 4th November 1942. In June 1943 he was posted to 1679 Conversion Unit to convert to fly the Lancaster and in July 1943 he returned to 426 Squadron. He was awarded the DFC for service with 426 Squadron, Gazetted 13th August 1943 (presented at Buckingham Palace on 11th August 1944). The citation for his DFC reads.."The fine fighting spirit displayed by this officer has been an inspiration to the rest of the squadron. He has taken part in may recent heavy raids on the Ruhr and on one occasion in April 1943 completed his mission successfully although one engine failed while his aircraft was hotly engaged by the defences. As deputy flight commander he has rendered valuable assistance in the operational training of new crews and has contributed much to the high morale maintained in the squadron." He was soon taken off front line operational flying for a period, being posted back to 1679 C.U. (becoming their chief flying instructor) and then to Boscombe Down. He returned to 6 Group with a posting to 433 Squadron in January 1944 for a month but then served at Bomber Command H.Q. He was later posted to 415 Squadron on 15th July 1944 as their Commanding Officer but was killed on 21st August 1944.

George Steel-Davies was born on 11th June 1919 at Champion, Alberta, Canada and was the son of James Vernon and Gladys Marie (nee Usher) Steel. His father died when he was young and later his mother re-married William Davies in 1923, after which he took the name Steel-Davies. As a small boy he lived at Milk River, Alberta for fifteen months. He then moved to Saskatchewan for nine years with his mother and stepfather (who was by then his adoptive father). Around 1930 the family moved to British Columbia where he lived at Campbell River and then worked for the Canadian Bank of Commerce there from 1936 until 1941 when he enlisted for RCAF service. He enlisted on 22nd December 1941 in Vancouver and after basic training in Canada was awarded his air navigator's flying badge and also a commission on 30th December 1942. He was then posted to the UK early in 1943 and following training at 3 (O)AFU, 23 OTU and 1659 HCU was posted to 434 Squadron on 30th November 1943. He served in P/O J W Hammond's crew at 434 Squadron until 24th July 1944 when he was posted to 415 Squadron to become Navigation Leader.

Andrew McBain was born on 2nd November 1917 at Sibbald, Alberta, Canada and was a son of David Russell and Margaret Lavina (nee Twigger) McBain. His brother Donald Keith McBain served in the RCAF overseas during WW2. As a young Andrew he worked in farming in the Camrose area of Alberta before moving to Toronto to work in the Goodyear Rubber Company tyre factory. He enlisted for RCAF service on 12th November 1941 in Toronto and trained as an air bomber, receiving his flying badge and a commission on 5th February 1943. He was posted to the UK a few weeks later and after training at 3 (O)AFU, 22 OTU and 1659 HCU he was posted to 419 Squadron on 28th August 1943. On 21st January 1944 he was posted to 424 Squadron where he served until June 1944. For service with 424 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 14th November 1944, the citation reads.."This officer has completed in various capaities numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he has displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty." After service with 424 Squadron he was posted to train as a Bombing Leader with posting to 415 Squadron on 6th August 1944 with this training complete. He had died by the time the London Gazette printed notification of his DFC. The CWGC have made a mistake with his gravestone, it should show the fact that he was awarded the DFC and it does not. He was 415 Squadron's Bombing Leader at the time of his death.

Herbert Fox was born on 24th June 1920 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England and was the son of Francis and Carrie (nee Miller) Fox. His mother died when he was he was four years old. He emigrated to Canada with his father and sister in 1928 and his father later re-married. He and his father worked as miners in the Sudbury area of Ontario for the Frood nickel mine. Herbert enlisted for RCAF service on 15th May 1942 in Hamilton and trained as a wireless operator / air gunner, being awarded his wireless operator's flying badge on 1st October 1943 followed by his air gunner's flying badge on 22nd November 1943. Having been posted to the UK he trained at 3 (O)AFU, 22 OTU, 23 OTU and 1666 HCU before posting to 415 Squadron on 19th July 1944.

Richard Morrison was born on 14th February 1920 at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Wesley Richard and Clara May (nee Lyons) Morrison. He left school in 1936 and worked as a truck driver locally. He may have known Andrew McBain when both were boys as they were both lived in Camrose as boys. Enlisting into the RCAF on 12th August 1941 at Edmonton he initially served as a motor mechanic, being mechanically inclined. He remustered as aircrew in Summer 1943 and trained as an air gunner, receiving his flying badge on 26th November 1943. He was posted to the UK in January 1944 and traned at 22 OTU, 23 OTU and 1666 HCU before posting to 415 Squadron on 19th July 1944.

James Mitchell was born on 16th April 1920 at Babb, Montana, USA and was the son of Henry John and Elizabeth (nee Mowatt) Mitchell. His mother died when he was young and not long after his father and all the family then moved to Twin Butte, Alberta, Canada where they set up farming. He enlisted for RCAF service on 6th August 1941 at Calgary for ground duties and initially served as a driver of motor transport in Canada. He remustered as aircrew in Summer 1943 and after training was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 26th November 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 23 OTU, 22 OTU and 1666 HCU before posting to 415 Squadron on 19th July 1944. His brother Sgt Henry Osmond Mitchell RCAF (R/171550) died on 11th December 1943 while training with 16 OTU, he ws flying in Wellington LN531 that crashed in Oxfordshire with the loss of all the crew. He is buried at Oxford Botley Cemetery.