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Robson, Albert Russel (Sergeant)

Killed in Flying Accident 1945-January-15

Birth Date: 1925 (age 20)

Son of Albert Russel Robson and Elizabeth Robson, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Home: Toronto, Ontario

Service
RCAF
Unit
1659 HCU- Heavy Conversion Unit
Rank
Sergeant
Marshal
Air Chief MarshalA/C/M
Air MarshalA/M
Air Vice MarshalA/V/M
Air CommodoreA/C
Group CaptainG/C
Wing CommanderW/C
Squadron LeaderS/L
Flight LieutenantF/L
Flying OfficerF/O
Pilot OfficerP/O
Warrant Officer 1st ClassWO1
Warrant Officer 2nd ClassWO2
Flight SergeantFS
SergeantSGT
CorporalCPL
Senior AircraftmanSAC
Leading AircraftmanLAC
Aircraftman 1st ClassAC1
Aircraftman 2nd ClassAC2
Position
Flight Engineer
Service Numbers
R/223493

Halifax B.Mk.III LK878

Operational 1945-January-15 to 1945-January-15

David Thompson - ‘and in the morning…’

On Monday 15th January 1945 the aircraft was allocated to F/O F.W. Mooney RCAF and his crew of eight other airmen to carry out circuits and landings, taking off at 20:55 hours. It is important to note the crew had been involved just over two hours previously at 18:50 hours in an aborted take-off when the aircraft Halifax Mk.III LK871 was damaged beyond economical repair having it swung violently to starboard on take-off for the second time, the starboard wheel left the metalled runway and dug in causing the aircraft to ground loop, the port tyre then burst and the port undercarriage collapse. Without being medically checked the crew were assigned to Halifax Mk.III serial number LK878 and ordered to carry on with the exercise! Taking off for the second time the aircraft in less than three minutes flew into high ground at Catcliffe Wood near Felixkirk, 4 miles NE of Thirsk, Yorkshire at roughly 20:59 hours. The aircraft initially struck the ground of a snow-covered field near the village of Felixkirk, immediately bounced across a narrow lane and into an area of woodland and broke up on impact, the rear turret coming adrift. When rescuers arrived at the scene the Rear Gunner was still alive but succumbed to his injures. Northallerton Military Hospital records record that at 22:15 hours the "Mobile Surgical unit proceeded to Felixkirk at the request of RCAF Topcliffe." The injured airman was removed from the car and transferred to the ambulance. "He was in a very poor condition and died immediately after admission to hospital (at Northallerton) from multiple injuries". The Humber (vehicle) had to be abandoned half a mile from the scene of the crash owing to deep snow. Personnel walked through the snow to the crash. The surgical unit returned to Northallerton at 00:15 hours".

Halifax LK878 was the 64th aircraft from the Unit to become non effective and struck off charge (S.O.C. on Saturday 20th January 1945) All nine members on board perished!

The average age of the crew was 20 years 204 days, the average age of the those that died on No.1659 Heavy Conversion Unit was 23 years 37 days and the average age of those that died on a Heavy Conversion Unit 23 years 183 days.

Crew Halifax LK878

(Photographs – (internet) Left to right, McGregor, Stavenow, MacDonell, Mooney, Savy & McCrea: Sgt Richard (Michael) Sullivan the Extra F/E (in Civilian clothes)., Sgt Robson F/E Halifax LK878 and Flight Sergeant Walton the Extra Pilot)

Lest we forget…

(Information from ‘and in the morning…’ Database, Information can be verified using MOD documentation and the CWGC Register… No.1659 HCU and Volumes of the H.C.U’s to be released)

General and in the morning,

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Burial
Google Map Stonefall Cemetery, UK
Sec G Row E Grave 8

Crew on Halifax B.Mk.III LK878

Handley Page Halifax

(RAF Photo, 1942)(Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)A Royal Air Force Handley Page Halifax Mk. II Series I (Serial No. W7676), coded TL-P, of No. 35 Squadron, RAF, based at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire in the UK, being piloted by Flight Lieutenant Reginald Lane, (later Lieutenant-General, RCAF), over the English countryside. Flt Lt Lane and his crew flew twelve operations in W7676, which failed to return from a raid on Nuremberg on the night of 28/29 August 1942, when it was being flown by Flt Sgt D. John and crew.

The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.

The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry's Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use." The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax would emerge as capable four-engined strategic bombers, thousands of which would be built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.

On 25 October 1939, the Halifax performed its maiden flight, and it entered service with the RAF on 13 November 1940. It quickly became a major component of Bomber Command, performing routine strategic bombing missions against the Axis Powers, many of them at night. Arthur Harris, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, described the Halifax as inferior to the rival Lancaster (in part due to its smaller payload) though this opinion was not shared by many of the crews that flew it, particularly for the MkIII variant. Nevertheless, production of the Halifax continued until April 1945. During their service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew a total of 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs, while 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was also flown in large numbers by other Allied and Commonwealth nations, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Free French Air Force and Polish forces. Wikipedia

YouTube Halifax Heavy Bomber WWII

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Halifax Bomber

Museum National Air Force Museum of Canada

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (5), RCAF 6 Group (1596), RCAF 400 Squadron (1443), Canadian Aircraft Losses (1562), Canadian Museum(2)
last update: 2023-12-08 20:34:11

Halifax B.Mk.III LK878

Halifax Mk.III serial number LK878 was one of 200 aircraft built by Fairey Aviation Stockport, under Contract No.ACFT/891 and Requisition No.HA1/E11/41 and delivered to No. 426 (Thunderbird) Squadron RCAF, No.62 (Beaver) Base based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire, and part of No.6 (RCAF) Bomber Group on Sunday 23rd April 1944. On Tuesday 20thJune 1944 the aircraft was taken on charge by No. 434 (Bluenose) Squadron RCAF based at RAF Croft, Yorkshire, the satellite Station to the Main Station at Middleton St. George, Co. Durham, No.64 Bomber Base part of No.6 (RCAF) Bomber Group… On Wednesday 13th September 1944 the aircraft was categorized as ‘Ac’ and was beyond the repair of the Unit? The aircraft was repaired and returned to No.434 (Bluenose Squadron on Thursday 5th October 1944. Ten days later the aircraft was transferred and taken on charge by No.1659 Heavy Conversion Unit based at RAF Station Topcliffe Yorkshire on Sunday 15thOctober 1944


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