Air Force Casualties
During the course of WWII aircraft were widely used by both the Allied and Axis forces and
both opposing groups lost planes around Filey.
Dornier Do 217E
The only known Axis
aircraft to have been ‘downed’ around Filey was on 3rd February 1943
when the above type of aircraft crashed about half a mile south of Muston. The crew had
bailed out somewhere in
On the night of Saturday 10th October 1942 a
Much of the large remains of the aircraft were taken away
shortly after the crash, but most of the small debris was left where it can
still be found today. Three of the
The crew
were:
John Ferguson (Sergeant / Pilot) – Aged 26. A young R.A.F. recruit from Oxted in
John Anthony Fox (Sergeant / Bomb Aimer) – A volunteer to the
R.A.F.V.R. (Volunteer Reserve) John was from Streatham
near Wandsworth. He was interred there after the crash. Unfortunately, no details are known about his
family.
Robert George Macdonald (Sergeant / Navigator) – Aged 33. The oldest of the crew, Robert was a
volunteer like John Fox and a member of the R.A.F.V.R. He originated from a village called Bevere in Worcestershire where he was married to Kathleen;
his parents George and Sarah were also not far away. Unlike the other two
British crew Robert was buried in St. Oswald’s churchyard.
Donald Roy Robertson (Flight Sergeant/ Wireless Operator) – Aged 21. The first of two Canadian airmen aboard the
Bruce Harry Sparrow (Sergeant / Rear Gunner) – Aged 20. The ‘baby’ of the crew, Bruce was another
airman of the R.C.A.F. and originated from
Beaufighter – 143
Squadron (R.A.F.)
On the afternoon of Sunday 23rd April 1944 a Beaufighter of 143 Squadron crashed on Flixton
Wold killing both of its crew. Beaufighters were
extremely flexible aircraft used towards the end of the war in both fighter and
bomber roles and contained a crew of two, normally a pilot and a navigator /
bombardier. The aircraft in question was
from a base in
Robert Agnew (Flight Lieutenant) – Aged 29. An Australian of the Royal Australian Air
Force (R.A.A.F.) native to
Harold Benjamin Blackwell (Flight Sergeant) – Aged 22. An airman of the R.A.F.V.R. Harold was from Wrexham, where he was to be interred after his fatal
accident. He was the son of John and
Martha Blackwell.
William John Crudge (Aircraftsman Second Class) – Aged 19
One of two ground crew fatalities in the Filey area William
was stationed at the R.A.F. base at Primrose Valley at the same time as Private
Stanley Bennett and Private Albert Izaby (see Army records). He was killed on Wednesday 16th
April 1941 in an ‘accidental explosion’ (this is the verdict recorded by the
Filey coroner – no other details are known).
He was originally from Paignton and was the
son of William and Gertrude Crudge; this is where his
body was buried.
An intriguing ground crew casualty, Wilfred died of
Pneumonia on Wednesday 17th December 1945 whilst serving at R.A.F. Bempton.
Technically, his was not a war time death but he was certainly in the
area on ‘war business’; his parents Zechariah and Ellen Dawns’ home address is
shown George’s Plain,
The only R.A.F. casualty to die around Filey whilst not
engaged on ‘official’ business James drowned at Hunmanby
Gap on Wednesday 16th February 1944 whilst on leave. The Filey coroner recorded a verdict of
‘death by misadventure’ for the Canadian serviceman who was the son of Joseph
and Mary Fowler.
James was an Air Observer of 78 Squadron, R.C.A.F. and was
buried in
A member of 2792 Squadron,
R.A.F.V.R., Samuel was training at the R.A.F. camp near Primrose Valley when he
was killed on Sunday 12th April 1942 in an accidental mine
explosion. He was originally from
Preston where he was later buried (in
The most decorated R.A.F. serviceman in this section, John
was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.), the Distinguished
Service Medal (D.S.M.) and an O.B.E. He
was the son of Wilfred and Mabel Jeudwine of Glinton, Northamptonshire but had
lived in Filey all his adult life up until enlisting in 1939.
John died on Friday 19th October 1945 at