6 Group Unavailable
45 Group RAF Transport Command, Dorval Quebec. Liberator BVIII KN 768, leaving for a trans-Atlantic ferry flight to the UK, rotated and raised the undercarriage too early, which caused a propeller to strike the runway and come off. That engine cut-out and although the bomber lifted off the runway, it crashed in flames with the loss of six of the eleven crew aboard. Six crew members survived (from a quoted crew of 12, although many sites list 4 killed from this accident). Limited detail on the survivors has been found to date. All aboard KN768 were part of 6 Ferry Unit
The rescue efforts were immediate and one of the first to respond was Flight Lieutenant DP Varden (RCAF), on leave from RCAF Yarmouth and staying at a house near the crash site. Varden leapt into action, entering the flaming wreckage time and again to try to get the crew out, despite burning his hands in the process. Flight Lieutenant Varden was awarded the George Medal for his bravery
Ocean Bridge, The History of RAF Ferry Command by Carl A Christie page 329
The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service by James D Oughton, with John Hamlin and Andrew Thomas, page 243
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
Clipping from The Montreal Star - Newspapers.com