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WW2: Halifax MK11 . JP190 crashed 1.4.1944 CRAIK FOREST

 
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Keptie



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 937
Location: near Arbroath Angus

PostPosted: Sun Jul 31, 2011 6:25 pm    Post subject: WW2: Halifax MK11 . JP190 crashed 1.4.1944 CRAIK FOREST Reply with quote

A friend of mine , Capt Ronnie Leask MBE from Leith has found in the last days a war memorial located at the Car Park at CRAIK FOREST , 15 miles approx South West of Hawick .

The memorial records :

Drawing of a Halifax MK11 face on and a side view of the aeroplane too :


"In Memory of the Crew of Halifax Mk 11 , JP 190 , which crashed near here on the Night of 1st April 1944 with the loss of all 8 Crew.

Flying Officer RONALD E . ROSS & Sergeant HAROLD W. SIMPSON.

Flying Officer JOHN BIRKETT & Sergeant CYRIL FARTHING.

Sergeant PETER BURCHELL & Sergeant JOHN G. HINDER.

Sergeant BRIAN A. BELL & Sergeant HERBERT SMITH


Erected 1st April 1994 , by Nos 2463 (Currie & Balerno) Sqn ,
1007 (Duns ) Sqn , Air Training Corps , and the Forestry Commission .

.

The plaque is located within a stone built wall and not a cairn .

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My thanks for informing me of this memorial go to my good friend Ronnie Leask , a retired ship captain from Leith .

I see that all the casualties are from England and they age from just 19 years of age (Sgt Brian Bell ) to 31years of age being F/O Ronald E. Ross MBE, MM. The bulk of the crew were 21 to 23 years of age only .

I can't see any RAF Squadron for any of the 8 crew from the Halifax bomber so can't see where they would have flown out from on that night back on 1 April 1944 ..

patrick w anderson

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DerekR
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 3013
Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Info from Ronnie Leask:

The grid ref. is NT348079. However, there are several sections of the car park & it could eaily be overlooked. The memorial is in the furthest in section of car park at a lower level & it is set into the banking of the adjacent higher level of car park. Easy to find though since it is just a few yards from a very fine chain saw carving of a squirrel.
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DerekR
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Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 3013
Location: Hawick, Scotland

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 2:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Photos courtesy of Ronnie Leask:



[/img]
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Keptie



Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 937
Location: near Arbroath Angus

PostPosted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:12 pm    Post subject: Craik Forest WW2 Halifax bomber Reply with quote

Information from a friend of mine, Malcolm Barrass who states that the Halifax were on a night navigation exercise from 1656 HCU stationed at LINDHOLME near Doncaster in Yorkshire and the aircraft flew into high ground at 2330 hours on 1 April 1944 .

RAF Lindholme was closed and sold off by the MOD in 1985 and is now HMP Lindholme.


Thanks to Malcolm Barrass for this info .


patrick w anderson
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

From Bomber Command Losses Volume 8 (Heavy Conversion Units)

Take off 2015 for a night navigation exercise, two flight engineers being carried. At approximately 2330 the Halifax flew into high ground in the vicinity of Muckle Knowe in Roxburghshire. As the bomber struck the hillside, the night sky was illuminated by flames as debris was scattered over a wide area. All now rest in various cemeteries across the English counties. As a warrant officer, F/O Ross had been appointed MBE (Military Division) in the New Year's honours list published in London Gazette on 1 January 1941. On 1 September 1943, his appointment to a commission was promulgated, seniority being backdated to 22 July 1943. F/O Birkett was the son of the Revd Alvan Birkett andd Mabel Emily Birkett, residing in Chesham Bois Rectory in Buckinghamshire circa 1961.

\Paul
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reme1uk



Joined: 31 Dec 2010
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad I have joined this site, I have been looking for information concerning this crash.

I have recently moved into a rented farm cottage near Roberton and when the owner saw my RM Association badge she mentioned an aeroplane crash during WWII, as it was Royal Marines that guarded the crash site.

Brian
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 4991
Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Fri Nov 23, 2018 1:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/scotland/handley-halifax-jp190-muckle-knowe/
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stuartn



Joined: 13 Dec 2016
Posts: 2551

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 7:15 pm    Post subject: WMR (ex UKNIWM) report Reply with quote

WMR 58049
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