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Our thanks to John Wane for the photos

A short while ago I posted an article on the website about Luttons being used as a listening post.  I have received this e-mail from Stan Ames of Harpenden in Hertfordshire.

Private ALFRED SHEPHERD of the Yorkshire Regiment 4th Btn Died 29 October 1917 and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial Belgium and Olivers Mount Memorial in Scarborough. He was the son of Robert and Charlotte Shepherd and on the 1901 census he was aged 14 and a ploughboy at Mount Rose Farm Weaverthorpe. Later he lived at East Heslerton and enlisted at Scarborough. As Alfred and five of his siblings and Robert his father and five of his siblings were born in the village it would be appropriate to have Albert added to the War Memorial in Weaverthorpe. His Grandfather moved there in 1835. If you have any further information about Alfred or his family please contact Linda Ellis 01262 604415 and if there are any objections to himbeing added to the War Memorial at Weaverthorpe please contact Jeff House, Parish Council Clerk on 07540 919584. 

Did you know that there is a memorial on Garrowby Hill that commemorates the fatal crash that took place on 7 February 1944 – a bomber plane crashed on to a milk lorry which was driving up Garrowby Hill.  Have a look at this link to find out more about the Memorial on Garrowby Hill

The following article is from the 7february1944.co.uk website. It is written by Alun Emlyn-Jones, Bomb Aimer.

Garrowby Hill is in Yorkshire but the story of the fatal crash there starts near Oxford at the village of Stanton Harcourt. On that airfield was an Operational Training Unit and there my crew of five flew two-engined Whitley Bombers. During this and in their spare time we were welded together in a strong friendship. Aircrew members tended to feel like an extended family and we certainly did. During our time there, we won the shield for the best night bombing.

The course completed, we moved on to a Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Rufforth, near York. Learning to fly the four engined Halifax Bomber on what we hoped to complete a tour of 30 operations, together, over enemy territory. The Halifax has a crew of seven, so two more members joined our family.

That winter of 1943/44 was a hard one and it was in snow that I rolled one night, as the pain of an erupting appendix gripped me. I went on weekends leave whilst our Medical Officer decided whether my appendix should be removed. I went home to Cardiff by train. Whilst waiting for a connection at Gloucester, I had another severe attack and on arrival at Cardiff was taken into a nursing home where my appendix was removed. It was 1st February 1944 – my 21st birthday. I wrote to Stan Bright, my pilot, saying that I hoped my absence would not mean that they had to find another Bomb Aimer. He replied reassuringly that the weather had clamped, they were flying only occasionally and I could catch up on the training when I returned in 3 weeks.

On the 7th February they went up in that clamped. weather. In cloud they would have not have known where they were precisely. It would have been natural to descend below the cloud level to get their bearings. They were not to know that the 838 feet of Garrowby Hill was between them and the flatlands. So they struck the road that follows the top of the hill, hitting a lorry that was using it. It was a glancing blow, the aircraft disintegrated and everyone died. The instructor who had completed a tour of operations had been gazetted with the Distinguished Flying Cross shortly before this final flight.

I thought about them often and in 1996 set up a memorial at the point of impact. I received great support in this endeavour and 92 people attended the unveiling, all associated in some way with that tragic event. The RAF gave us a fly past. Now each year on Armistice Sunday as many as can gather on that site and remember those young men, two of whom were still in their teens, and the lorry driver. After the crash I was a Bomb Aimer without a crew. A crew whose Bomb Aimer had been killed adopted me and I felt very fortunate to complete a tour with them at 51 squadron.

RAF Crew killed on the plane:
Flt. Sgt. STANLEY BRIGHT, Pilot Age 22
Sgt. KENNETH SMITH, Wireless operator Age 22
Sgt. JOHN FREDERICK NELSON, Engineer Age 21
F/O JOHN KINGSLEY MEYLER, Navigator Age 25
Sgt. PETER GORDON MCDONALD, Air Gunner Age 19
SGT. SIDNEY JAMES BOOKER, Air Gunner Age 19
Flt. Lt. ALFRED JOHN SHIRLEY HODSON, Pilot Instructor Age 29

Civilian
Milk Lorry Driver – Mr Arthur Wood Kirkby, aged 39, of 3 Carlton Street, Hessle Road, Hull. He worked for the London and North Eastern Railway and was a member of the Home Guard

A Halifax Mk.BIII PN347 (bomber) coded NP-X set out to undertake an operation to Kaman on March 3/4, 1945. After being diverted to Middleton St.George, they were ordered to disperse due to enemy activity. At around 0030hrs they were shot down by an Ju.88 night-fighter and crashed at Sledmere Grange killing all on board.  This was one of Operation Gisela casualties. It is believed that the aircraft responsible for shooting them down was that of Hauptman Johan Dreher 13/NJG3,which later hit a tree close to Elvington airfield and  crashed into a house killing three civilians.

All the crew on the Halifax bomber were killed.  They were:

Click here for a photograph of all the crew

More information on Flight Sergeant Middleton can be found at http://www.bombercrew.com/158/middleton.htm, while information on Sergeant Farrow can be found on the Aldeby War Memorial Roll of Honour Site in the WW2 section. 

If you have any information on the rest of the crew, please let us know.