Memorial stone to airmen who died in WW2 Northallerton crash

On December 2, 1943, a four-engine Halifax aircraft exploded as it hit an unoccupied bungalow beside the Applegarth School on Springwell Lane in Northallerton.

The plane’s crew had been training to shake off fighters and had taken off from RCAF Croft, near Darlington shortly before.

A Halifax Bomber (Image: PA MEDIA) Four Canadians, two Welshmen and an Irishman, who were all in the plane, lost their lives.

The project to create a memorial stone began after a remembrance service in Northallerton in 2023, which saw the RAF Leeming Padre refer to the 1943 Halifax bomber, which resonated with the public who attended. And RAF Leeming Station Commander, Group Captain Paul Hamilton, remarked there was a stone memorial in his home village in Nottinghamshire, and the memorial project was born.

The seven who died in the crash were:

• Pilot - F/O William John Taylor RCAF (J/24309), aged 25, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
• Flight Engineer - Sgt William John Morgan RAF (1663229), aged 19, of Mountain Ash, Glamorgan, Wales
• Navigator - F/Sgt James Murray Beatty RCAF (R/152879), aged 20, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
• Air Bomber - F/O Donald Cameron Walker RCAF (J/25527), aged 27, of Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario, Canada.
• Wireless Operator - Sgt Thomas John Skyrme RAFVR (1400888), aged 21, of Ynysybwl, Wales.
• Air Gunner - Sgt John Owens Winters RAFVR (1796389), aged 19, of Belfast, Ireland.
• Air Gunner - F/Sgt John Wallace RCAF (R/176389), aged 22, of Lang, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Lynne Cross, the history lead at Applegarth Primary School, began doing work on the Halifax crash of 1943, which saw an assembly last December on the anniversary of the accident.

The Mayor of Northallerton, Station Commander at RAF Leeming, and various other local VIPs were invited, including two ex-Applegarth pupils who were at the school when the Halifax came down.

Applegarth Primary School in Northallerton (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) The project has been supported by Lynne’s brother Graeme Garnham, who did some research into the plane crash and the airmen who were killed.

It is hoped that the memorial stone will be unveiled at Applegarth School during a dedication service on December 2 this year.

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Mount Hope, Ontario, has had a plaque made to commemorate the Canadian members of the crew who lost their lives that day.

The planting of a maple tree with the stone has also been proposed, while the Station Commander at RAF Leeming is also closely involved. A strong RAF input at the service is expected.

A Halifax Bomber (Image: ARCHIVE) Cllr Phil Eames, mayor of Northallerton, who has backed the campaign, said: “This project has involved the supplier of the newly-resurfaced runaway at RAF Leeming, Volker Fitzpatrick, who sourced the stone from a local quarry, historians from Northallerton’s Heritage Hub, RAF Leeming historians and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Ontario, Canada (through the work of Applegarth teacher Lynne Cross’s brother Graeme Garnham). We plan to unveil the stone, which has now been put in place by Northallerton Town Council, on December 2, the 82nd anniversary of the tragic event.

“A ceremony is being organised to involve all those mentioned above, along with children from the school.

“This has been an amazing and uplifting project, with the engagement of multiple groups and individuals to provide Northallerton with a lasting memory of an important event in the town’s history. Northallerton Town Council is proud to be involved.”