Operation: Dual instruction training

Date: 5th July 1944 (Wednesday)

Unit No: 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU)

Type: Halifax V

Serial: DG414

Base: RAF Sandtoft, Lincolnshire.

Location: Alkborough, Lincolnshire.

Pilot (Inst): Flt Lt. Benjamin Edward McLaughlin DFC. 127223 RAFVR Age 30 Killed (1)

Pilot (U/T): Plt Off. Edward Barley 176232 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

Flt Eng (Inst): Sgt. Patrick. Morissey DFM. 1661466 RAFVR Age 27. Survived/injured.

Flt Eng (U/T): Sgt. Thomas Edward Carr 1590301 RAFVR Survived/Injured (2)

Flt Eng (U/T): Sgt. Ivor Herbert Simmonds 1836668 RAFVR Age 25. Survived/Died

Flt Eng (U/T): Sgt. George Beedle 1594241 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

Air Bmr: Sgt. Hubert Fryer 1623205 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. John Norman Bond 424080 RAAF Age 25. Killed

Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Robert Anthony Wixted 434555 RAAF Age 20. Killed

Above: Flt Lt. Benjamin E. McLaughlin (Courtesy of Paul Markham)

Sgt. Tracy Watson, currently serving in the Royal Air Force, places a wreath every anniversary of the death of the pilot, which coincides with the date of the loss of her own mother.

REASON FOR LOSS:

DG414 took off at 12.50 hrs from RAF Sandtoft, Lincolnshire on a dual instruction training exercise with 1 trainee pilot and 3 trainee flight engineers.

Whilst flying at 200 ft on three engines control was lost and the aircraft crashed at Alkborough, Lincolnshire on the south bank of the Humber.

Emergency crews arrived within 30 minutes with the unit's medical officer. Sgt. Carr were taken to RAF Elsham Wolds sick quarters with the other two taken to Scunthorpe War Memorial Hospital. Shortly after admission to hospital, Sgt Simmonds died of his injuries.

(1) Benjamin Edward McLaughlin joined the Portsmouth Police force on the 25th March 1935 and served until 28th May 1936 when he went to Palestine to serve with the Palestine Police force. He returned to Portsmouth and was reappointed to the Portsmouth force on the 7th December 1937.

Police officer Benjamin E. McLaughin and announcement for his DFC

On the 5th August 1942 Benjamin Edward McLaughlin was appointed to a commission as Pilot Officer and on the 5th February Flying Officer B. E. McLaughlin was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant.

He was awarded the DFC while serving with 12 Squadron. London Gazette 12th November 1943.

At the time of his death his address was given as Jubilee Avenue, Paulsgrove.

(2) Sgt. Thomas Carr made a full recovery and joined 166 Sqn.

Sgt. Carr was KiA the 16th January 1945 on an operation to Zeitz aboard Lancaster III ME296 AS:V The pilot, Flt Lt. Ernest Patrick Burke 426303, RAAF was also killed. The remaining 5 crew were taken as PoW.

Burial details:

Grave marker for Flt.Lt. Benjamin Edward McLaughlin DFC; left 2013, right 2014 (Courtesy Sgt Tracy Watson)

Flt Lt. Benjamin Edward McLaughlin DFC. Porchester Churchyard Row 5. Grave 12. Born on the 5th March 1914. Son of George Thomas and Ivy Love McLaughlin of Paulsgrove, Hampshire, England.

Plt Off. Edward Barley. Hull Western Cemetery Compt. 267. Grave 25884. Son of Edward and Mary Frances Barley, of Hull, England.

Grave marker for Sgt. Patrick Morissey DFM

Sgt. Patrick Morissey DFM. Died the following day and is buried in Kensal Green (St. Mary's) Roman Catholic Cemetery. Sec.X.P. Grave 3165. Son of Michael and Margaret Morissey, husband of Elizabeth Morissey, of Kingsbury, England.

Sgt. Patrick Morrissey was awarded the DFM while serving with 101 Squadron, London Gazette 19th September 1944.

Sgt. Ivor Herbert Simmonds. Fleur-De-Lis Church Cemetery. Block 4. Row 1. Grave 9. Son of William and Lettia L. Simmonds, of South Harrow, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. George Beedle. Fylingdales Churchyard. Son of George and Ellen Arm Beedle, of Fylingdales, husband of Elizabeth Ann Ross Beedle, of Robin Hoods Bay, England.

Grave markers left to right: Sgt. Fryer (Courtesy of Jacob Salter); Flt Sgt. Bond; Flt Sgt. Wixted

Sgt. Hubert Fryer. West Tanfield Churchyard. Son of Doris Harrison, of West Tanfield, England.

Flt Sgt. John Norman Bond. Harrogate Cemetery Sec. B. Row H. Grave 6. Born on the 13th September 1918 in Kempsey NSW and enlisted in Sydney. Son of Richard Armstrong Bond and Florence Maude Bond, of Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Robert Anthony Wixted. Harrogate Cemetery Sec. B. Row H. Grave 7. Born on the 13th June 1924 in Brisbane, Queensland. Son of Thomas Michael and Margaret Wixted, of Coorparoo, Queensland, Australia.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered, researcher and specialist genealogist Kate Tame for relatives of this crew. Thanks to Rob Davis for additional detail of Sgt. Carr's loss. Thanks to Jacob Salter for the image of the grave marker for Sgt. Fryer (Aug 2020). Thanks to Paul Markham for the images of Flt Lt. McLaughlin, Flt Sgt. Bond and Flt Sgt. Wixted. (Jul 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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