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Operation: Aircraft Test
Date: 12th December 1944 (Tuesday)
Unit: No. 409 Squadron
Type: Mosquito NFXIII
Serial: HK512
Code: KP-A
Base: B.51 Vendeville, Lille, France (Advance Landing Ground)
Location: Sailly-lez-Lannoy, France
Pilot: Fl/Lt. Harry Sinclair Ellis J/20366 RCAF Age 26. Killed
Nav: W/O. William D. King R/154053 RCAF Baled out - survived
Relatives of the pilot would very much appreciate any photographs of him - please contact us in the first instance.
REASON FOR LOSS:
Weather: conditions were 10/10 cloud, base 2500 top 4500, wind WNW/10, visibility 6 miles.
During an air test at about 14:25 hrs, accompanied by another Mosquito from the same squadron flown by its Wing Commander J.D. Somerville, DSO, DFC when the starboard engine was seen to catch fire. The W/Cdr who observed this, informed the crew to abandon the aircraft. W/O. King did so and landed safely. Fl/Lt. Ellis it seems, knocked the control column whilst trying to exit, resulting in the aircraft making a half turn to port - he was killed as unable to clear the aircraft. The Mosquito crashed at 15:00hrs.
Above left: Fl/Lt. Harry Ellis with Fl/Lt. L. Ward. Right: W/O. William King with Fl/Lt. L.M. Jones (courtesy Kit Kennard)
The resulting enquiry established that the cause of the crash was said to be a cracked cylinder in the Merlin XXIII starboard engine, causing a glycol leak, followed by a puff of white smoke, then three black puffs and fire which couldn't be extinguished. The engine had been stripped down and reassembled recently. And the pilot, who had considerable hours on type, had just returned from an illness.
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. Harry Sinclair Ellis. Adegem Canadian War Cemetery. Grave XI.G.10. Son of Harry Casci Ellis and Elizabeth Gertrude Ellis, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It seems that he had been courting an English girl at the time of his death who gave birth to a son after the accident.
Researched for Gregen Ronald Jackson (Grandson of the pilot) and dedicated to the relatives of the crew. Thanks also to Krista King, daughter of W/O. King who contacted us in January 2017. Finally to sources as quoted below:
KTY 05.06.2016
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember
them. - Laurence
Binyon
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Last Modified: 30 March 2021, 11:33