Operation: Training

Date: 26th November 1944 (Sunday)

Unit No: 115 Squadron, 3 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: PD293

Code: KO:O

Base: RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire.

Location: Sea four or five miles South of St. Athen, Wales

Pilot: Plt Off. William Donald Crebbin 188647 RAFVR Age 20. Missing (1)

Flt Eng: Sgt. John Edmund Parkin 1678439 RAFVR Age 22. Missing

Nav: Flt Sgt. Harry Donald Hooper R191599 RCAF Age 20. Missing

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. Frank Thompson 652570 RAF Age 29. Missing (2)

WOp/Air Gnr: Fg Off. Edward Alfred Tragheim 160872 RAFVR Age 30. Missing (3)

Air Gnr (Mid Upper): Sgt. Mathew Blenkinsop 1595390 RAFVR Age 22. Missing

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Ian McKinnon R2296A RCAF Age 27. Missing

Above L-R: Plt Off. William Crebbin, Flt Sgt. Harry Hooper (From his Service Record), Fg Off. Edward Tragheim (Courtesy Bodhi Sering), Flt Sgt. Frank Thompson Courtesy of Peter Thompson) and Flt Sgt. Ian McKinnon.

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aircraft took-off from RAF Witchford at 12:10 hrs for a special navigational H2S training flight. The aircraft was to fly the following route:

Base which was Witchford, Cambridgeshire to Bull Point then to Worms Head (Glamorgan) to Lincoln then returning to base.

At 13:36 hrs a report was received from an Observer Post of the Royal Observer Corps that a Lancaster aircraft had dived into the sea four or five miles South of St. Athen, Wales.

Air Sea Rescue Service and Navy Ships searched the area but unfortunately no trace could be found of the crew. Wreckage found in the vicinity of the crash was identified as parts of a Lancaster aircraft and as no other Lancaster aircraft was reported overdue on this date it is believed that the aircraft which was seen to crash was PD293.

In addition if the pilot was flying as instructed, he should have been in this area at approximately 13:35 hrs.

(1) Plt Off. Crebbin lost his older brother a few months earlier. 22 year old F/O. Alan Francis Crebbin 136385 RAFVR died on the 08th May 1944, serving with 177 Squadron in India. Navigator of Beaufighter TF Mk.X. They were takin, Yorkshire g part in an attack on rolling stock at Kyangin, Burma. The pilot 22 year old, Fl/Sgt. Alec Beanlands 1425883 RAFVR from Keighley in Yorkshire was wounded during the attack. Despite his injuries he managed to fly the aircraft back to the base at RAF RAF Feni but had to crash land the Beaufighter at 12:00hrs but the aircraft caught fire. The pilot died before medical aid arrive. F/O. Crebbin was seriously injured but died the following day. Both are buried in Chittagong War Cemetery, Chattogram, Bangladesh.
The parents of the Crebbin brothers were both tragically killed on Gosport street, Isle of Manin a motor vehicle accident.

(2) Frank Thompson studied coal mining at Rotherham Technical College. He left work at Tinsley Park Colliery a month before war broke out to enlist on the 10th August 1939. He initially trained as a technician and as a Cpl. served on ground staff as an instrument repairer. In 1942 he trained as a Bomb Aimer in South Africa as aircrew and on return to the UK in 1944 joined 115 Squadron at RAF Witchford with the rank of Flt Sgt. He completed at least three bombing operations over Germany before he was lost in this accident.

Frank married Pearl Eileen Martell in Whittlesey in April of 1944.

Note:The CWGC entry for Flt Sgt. Thompson has incorrectly recorded his Service No. as 652750. Flt Sgt. Thompson's Service Record confirms that his Service No. is 652570.

(3) Edward was educated at the Grove Academy. Prior to service worked for Prudential Assurance Company, Glasgow. His father served in the Tank Corp during WW1 - died 1959, age 71. His mother died 1986, age 96. Three brothers also served, Eri Glen in the RAFVR (died in 1999), Alfred Edwin a radio officer in the Merchant Navy and Lawrence in the Royal Scots (died in July 1999). Two sisters, Marguerita Elsie and Moyra. Husband of Christina Tulloch Tragheim (married in 1944, née Mackenzie - died 1996, age 79 - remarried in 1954 to Calvin Alfred Haner), of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

(4) Ian enlisted on the 3rd February 1938 into the RCAF Auxiliary and transferred to RCAF on the 18th August 1942. His father died (died 17th November 1947, age 65) mother - died 20th March 1971, age 83. Brother of William James Donald Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Burial details:

Plt Off. William Donald Crebbin. Runnymede Memorial Panel 210. Also remembered on family grave at Kirk Christ Church Cemetery, Port Erin, Isle of Man. Son of Lt. Frank Crebbin (HMS Hornet, Royal Navy - died 24th December 1940, age 54), and of Catherine Elizabeth Crebbin (died 124th December 1940), of Port St. Mary, Isle of Man.

Sgt. John Edmund Parkin. Runnymede Memorial Panel 235. Son of John Edwin and Lily Parkin, of Sheffield, England.

Flt Sgt. Harry Donald Hooper. Runnymede Memorial Panel 254. Born on the 20th January 1924. The only son of Harry Robert Hooper (died in 1948, age 59), and of Margaret Jack Hooper (née Mclaarty - died in 1979, age 91), of London, Ontario, Canada.

Flt Sgt. Frank Thompson. Runnymede Memorial Panel 222. Born on the 5th December 1914 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Son of Thomas William and Pamela Thompson of Kilnhurst, South Yorkshire. Husband to Pearl Eileen (née Martell) Thompson.

Fg Off. Edward Alfred Tragheim. Runnymede Memorial Panel 209. Born in 1914 in Smonkton And Prestwick, Ayre, Scotland. Son of Alfred and Elsie May (née Gilles) Tragheim of Broughty Ferry, Dunde, Scotland.

Sgt. Mathew Blenkinsop. Runnymede Memorial Panel 225. Son of Matthew (died 6th June 1958, age 89) and Margaret Ann Blenkinsop, (died 1962, age 69) of 89 Forest Road, Sunderland, County Durham, England.

Flt Sgt. Ian McKinnon. Runnymede Memorial Panel 255. Born on the 11th February 1917 in Vancouver. Son of John and Valentine (née Tainsh) McKinnon of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Researched by Linda Ibrom for Aircrew Remembered - dedicated to the relatives of Fg Off. Tragheim and all the crew relatives. Thanks to Peter Thompson, nephew of Flt Sgt. Thompson, for his Next of Kin details and photograph (Nov 2024). Further updates by Aircrew Remembered (Nov 2024). Many thanks to Peter Thompson for the correction to the Service and Date of Birth details for Flt Sgt. Thompson (Nov 2024). New images and biographical information added by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) (Nov 2024).

Other sources list below:

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