6 Group Unavailable
On 1943-12-02, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, an Engineering Officer with 427 Sqn at Leeming, wrote in his diary:
"We were supposed to be on again tonight . . . It was scrubbed about 4 o'clock so since some of the gang were going up to a party tonight at Croft I went with them. Met up with all the boys at 1664 again & had a swell time. . . At the party I met Mary again . . It was spoiled somewhat at 10:00 o'clock by a crash. I heard this kite coming in for a landing & flying very low. All of a sudden there was a terrific crash & it pranged just about a hundred yards from the Mess â€" hit a tree and burst into flames. We all went out to see it but it was pretty gruesome & some of the girls were sick so we all went back in again & tried to get the party started again. Five were killed & two were still alive when they dragged them out although they were pretty badly burned. Mary, whose brother-in-law was killed in a crash over at Middleton, started to cry & make a fuss but soon recovered. I caught the taxi to town at 11:15 after detouring into the field around the wreck. It was strewn all over the road and was still burning."
Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWM