Operation: Aircraft test flight

Date: 4th October 1943 (Monday)

Unit No: 100 Squadron, 1 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster III

Serial: ED583

Code: HW:K

Base: RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire

Location: North Thoresby, Lincolnshire, England

Pilot: FO. Thomas Hurley ‘Tommy’ Morgan DFC, T-190798 USAAF Age 23. Killed (1)

Pilot: WO. John Thomas Goozee 552903 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Pilot: Sgt. Ralph Frederick Worsey 1392269 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Flt Eng: Sgt. Charles Alexander Green 1622553 RAFVR Age 20. Killed.

Flt Eng: Sgt. Walter Edward James Giles DFM, 1194020 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Nav: Sgt. John Alexander Baker 1395957 RAF Age 34. Killed

Bomb Aimer: Sgt. John Hill Rogers 1545048 RAFVR Age 19. Killed (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. William Frederick Bristow 1268417 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Above left to right: FO. Morgan DFC, Sgt. Rogers and Sgt. Giles DFM.

REASON FOR LOSS:

Above Lancaster ED583 HW:K

ED583 took-off from RAF Grimsby at 12.05 hrs to air test the outer starboard engine and to gain as much height as possible. The crew, not unusually, volunteered to test the aircraft.

At approximately 12:50 hrs the aircraft suffered severe structural failure and broke up in the air over North Thoresby, 7 miles south of Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. The final moments have been described as a steep dive, almost vertical, with no tail and outer portions of the wings missing.

Debris was scattered over a wide area with some of it destroying a chapel in the village and damaging a number of houses. Fortunately with no loss of life on the ground. All the 8 crew members were killed and are buried in various cemeteries within the United Kingdom, having been claimed by their next of kin.

(1) Tommy Morgan joined the RCAF training School in Brandon, Manitoba on the 15th April 1941. He was a Sergeant when he later transferred to the USAAF and eventually came to fly Lancaster's with 100 Squadron. At the end of May/early June 1943 he was promoted to Flight Officer (FO)

Note: Flight Officer (FO) equates to the rank of Warrant Officer (WO) in the RAF.

Around the time of his 27th mission over Germany he was awarded the USAAF Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and his Flt Eng., Sgt. Jim Giles, the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) (London Gazette 7th December 1943) for an exploit over Germany.

Above: Courtesy of The Province, dated 15th October 1943

Tommy had completed his operational tour and had written to his girlfriend Irene, only days before his death to say that he had finished with flying.

(2) Sgt. John Hill Rogers.

Above: Courtesy of the Chester Chronicle and Cheshire and North Wales General Advertiser, dated 9th October 1943

Memorial to the crew of ED583 at North Thoresby (Courtesy of Sally Jowitt)

Burial details:

FO. Thomas Hurley Morgan DFC. Cambridge American Cemetery, Block K, Row 7, Grave 15. Born on the 20th February 1920 in St. Helens, Oregan, USA. Son of Charles Dwain (deceased in September 1921) and Susan Winnifred (née Hurley) Morgan (remarried name Cahill) of Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada.

WO. John Thomas Goozee. Islington Cemetery and Crematorium, Sec. P. Block. 6, Grave 7427P. Born on the 8th August 1921 in Barnet, Greater London. Son of John Donovan and Mary Ann (née Flaherty) Goozee of Kingsbury. Husband of Doris May (née Green) Goozee, of Kenton, Harrow, England.

Sgt. Ralph Frederick Worsey. Woolwich Cemetery, Sec. 2. Grave 175. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1921 in Plumstead, Greater London. Son of Frederick William John (deceased in November 1926) and Kate Louisa (née Barnes) Worsey of Plumstead, Greater London, England

Sgt. Charles Alexander Green. Hull Eastern Cemetery Compt. 169, Grave 75. Born on the 4th May 1923 in Sculcoates, Yorkshire. Son of Charles Alexander and Lillian (née Fletcher) Green of Hull, England.

Sgt. Walter Edward James Giles DFM. Oxford (Rose Hill) Cemetery, Sec. G.1. Grave 19. Born on the 20th October 1920 in Old Marston, Oxfordshire. Son of Walter John (deceased in November 1936) and Mary Evelyn (née Sawyer) Giles of New Marston, Oxford, England.

Sgt. John Alexander Baker. Lambeth (Tooting) Cemetery, Sec. 0.3. Coll. Grave 647, Screen Wall, Panel 1. Born on the 27th June 1909 in Kennington. Son of John and Minnie Elizabeth (née Bowden) Baker of Vauxhall, Greater London, England.

Sgt. John Hill Rogers. Upton (Holy Ascension) Churchyard, Upton-By-Chester Old ground. Grave 320. Son of Harry and Gladys R. Rogers of Chester, England. Buried with his grandmother, Edith Barbara (Poppy) Gilbert.

Sgt. William Frederick Bristow. Camberwell New Cemetery, Square 82, Coll. Grave 7879, Screen Wall. Panel 2. Born on the 26th October 1920 in Southwark. Son of Frederick William (deceased in May 1921)and May (née Clark) Bristow. Husband of Annie (née Donoghue) Bristow of East Dulwich, England.

This research together with the photographs have been supplied to us by Mr Dave Barnet (Village Councillor, North Thoresby Village) and Mr Shaun McGuire for which we are very grateful. Also to Mike McQuaid for grave photo of Sgt. Rogers (Nov 2015). Thanks to Mike McQuaid for providing the Sgt. Green's gravestone image, courtesy of Wayne Bywater (Dec 2018). Reviewed and updated with thanks to Sally Jowitt for the image of the memorial (Mar 2026)

Other sources listed below:

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