Halifax DK143
Desserline, Duhamel, Robitaille, Vigneault & Darlington were on board Halifax DK143 that crashed
near Skelton on Ure on 23/9/44.
All buried in Harrogate Stonefall cemetery.
Index: Claudien P Desserline - CWGC: Sgt DESSERTINE, CLAUDIEN PAUL JOSEPH Grave E/E/8
Index: Clement J A Duhamel- CWGC: F/Sgt DUHAMEL, JOSEPH ALPHONSE CLEMENT Grave E/E/9
Index: Edgar A Robitaille - CWGC: F/O ROBITAILLE, EDGAR ALBERT Grave E/E/11
Index: Joseph P A Vigneault - CWGC: Sgt VIGNEAULT, JOSEPH PHILOROME AMBROISE Grave E/E/10
Index: Stanley Darlington - CWGC: Sgt DARLINGTON, STANLEY buried elsewhere (RAF)
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?8715-Kirkby-Malzeard
Halifax DK 143
These are the details for DK143 with confirmation of the date she was lost:
Aircraft movement card (AM78) shows DK143 was originally issued to 427 Sqn on 18 May 43 and
stayed with them until 4 March 44 when it was transferred to 1664 Conversion Unit. According to
the AM1180 (Aircraft Accident Card), the aircraft was lost on 23 Sept 1944 whilst undertaking
Circuits and Landings and crashed 1.5 miles NW of Skelton. If required you can obtain a copy of both
cards from the RAF Museum at Hendon.
The RAF Museum, Department of Research and Information Services, Grahame Park Way
Hendon, London, NW9 5LL
Tel:
020 8205 2266
Web-site: www.rafmuseum.org.uk
Extract from the Bomber Command Losses Book
Canada
Alfie Hall, Flt Lt, Adjutant 609 (WR) Sqn
Halifax DK143
There was some debate as to whether the aircraft was from 76 Squadron or (more likely) from 427
squadron. We can rule out 76 squadron. They lost a Halifax over Germany in May 1943, designated
DK 134. These digits have been inadvertently transposed on some websites, hence the confusion.
Unfortunately, this does not get us a great deal further. The suggestion that the Skelton crash was
Halifax DK143 comes from a website you have seen and which quotes W. R. Chorley's books on
Bomber Command's losses as its source. I have not seen the book but will take the quote to be
accurate. Another website helpfully lists those aircraft allocated to the RCAF and tells us that DK 143
was indeed operated by 427 squadron out of Leeming.
However, there are various websites which detail daily operations etc as well as crashes and none of
these mention DK143 or the supposed crash date of 23 September 1944. This is confirmed by the
excellent site for the 427 Squadron Association which has digitised its wartime log. Each mission is
recorded, complete with map showing their route into, and out from, the target, and listing each
aircraft which flew on each occasion. Also listed are the names of the crews who did not return. The
427 log shows no missions flown on 23.9.44 but that the weather that day was fine with good
visibility. There were training flights that day but absolutely no mention of a crash. I have gone
through the log for the previous few months prior to Sept 44 and can find no mention at all of DK143
flying any mission, nor is there any mention (as there is of other crews) of any of the dead crew
members being at the squadron.
One thought occurs to me. Some aircraft at the time were loaned(?) out to the Heavy Conversion
Units (HCU), who trained crews accustomed to twin engined bombers, to fly the four engined
Halifaxs and Lancasters. 1664 HCU was based at Dishforth at the time. If DK143 was a training
aircraft it may explain why 427's log is silent on the subject and also why the CWGC does not quote
any specific squadron for the 5 crew members who were killed.; presumably 2 men survived? Such a
scenario could also explain why the plane crashed in good weather/visibility ie pilot error by a raw
pilot ( Do we have a time of day for the crash?). I have not been able to discover anything about
these men other than it was the norm for RCAF crews to have a Flight engineer from the RAF/RAFVR.
It does not explain however why the crash is missing from other records. I have searched the Ripon
Gazette but there is no mention, probably due to censorship. I have to say this is all speculation
since I have no evidence for just about any aspect of the incident.
Kevin Earl
Claro Community Archaeology Group
Jan 2013
Halifax DK143
DK143
Handley Page
Fairey
Aviation
Halifax
B. Mk. V
Served with No. 427 (B)
Squadron, RCAF, coded
'ZL*W'.
DARLINGTON, STANLEY
Name
Service
Number
Rank
Date of
Death
Grave /
Regiment Service
Memorial
Age
/ Service Country
Reference
Cemetery /
Memorial
Name
Royal Air
ST. PETER-INDARLINGTON,
Force
United Row 48.
THANET
Sergeant 1865761 23/09/1944 28
Volunteer Kingdom Grave 36.
STANLEY
CHURCHYARD
Reserve
Rank: Sergeant
Trade: Flt. Engr.
Service No:
1865761
Date of Death: 23/09/1944
Age:
28
Regiment/Service:
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Grave Reference:
Row 48. Grave 36.
Cemetery:
ST. PETER-IN-THANET CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:
Son of Arthur and Edith Evelyn Darlington, of Broadstairs.
ST. PETER-IN-THANET CHURCHYARD
ROBITAILLE, EDGAR ALBERT
Name
Service
Rank
Number
Date of
Death
Regiment / Service
Age
Service Country
ROBITAILLE,
Royal
Flying
EDGAR
J/36475 23/09/1944 22 Canadian
Officer
ALBERT
Air Force
Grave /
Memorial
Reference
Cemetery /
Memorial
Name
Sec. E. Row HARROGATE
(STONEFALL)
Canadian E. Grave
11.
CEMETERY
Rank: Flying Officer
Trade: Pilot
Service No:
J/36475
Date of Death: 23/09/1944
Age:
22
Regiment/Service:
Royal Canadian Air Force
Grave Reference:
Sec. E. Row E. Grave 11.
Cemetery:
HARROGATE (STONEFALL) CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Eugene Robitaille, and of Marguerite Carriere Robitaille, of Outremont, Province of
Quebec, Canada.
VIGNEAULT, JOSEPH PHILOROME AMBROISE
Name
VIGNEAULT,
JOSEPH
PHILOROME
AMBROISE
Service
Number
Rank
Date of
Death
Grave /
Regiment Service
Memorial
Age
/ Service Country
Reference
Royal
Sec. E.
HARROGATE
(STONEFALL)
Sergeant R/159546 23/09/1944 24 Canadian Canadian Row E.
Air Force
Grave 10. CEMETERY
Rank: Sergeant
Trade: Air Gnr.
Service No:
R/159546
Date of Death: 23/09/1944
Age:
Cemetery /
Memorial
Name
24
Regiment/Service:
Royal Canadian Air Force
Grave Reference:
Sec. E. Row E. Grave 10.
Cemetery:
HARROGATE (STONEFALL) CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Edouard and Olive Lapierre Vigneault, of Quebec City, Canada.
Newby Hall Staff – site visit identified the following fragments of aircraft
No. 427 Squadron
Lion In front of a maple leaf a lion rampant. The combination of a lion representing England
and the maple leaf Canada indicates the formation of this squadron in England.
Motto: FERTE MANUS CERTAS - "Striking sure"
No. 427 Squadron formed at Croft on 7 November 1942 as another of the RCAF's bomber
squadrons, becoming part of No. 6 Group on 1 January 1943. It was equipped with Vickers
Wellington Mk IIIs and Mk Xs, and began operations with a minelaying sortie to the Frisian
Islands on 14 December 1942. Thereafter it continued to operate by night against enemy
targets in Europe until May 1943, when it moved to Leeming and re-equipped with Handley
Page Halifax Mk Vs. It was soon back on operations again and flew at a high intensity,
replacing these Merlin-engined machines with Halifax Mk IIIs in the first few months of
1944. It was this version with which the squadron flew its greatest number of sorties, using
them for over a year and relinquishing them for Avro Lancasters only just before the Second
World War ended. The Lancasters flew a few operations before VE-Day and then were busy
on the more pleasant task of liberating and bringing home POWs from all over Europe. No.
427 Squadron remained as part of Bomber Command at Leeming until disbanding there on
31 May 1946.
A Handley-Page Halifax B.Mk V of No. 427 Squadron. The squadron was adopted by the
MGM film company and some aircraft were named after film stars.
Reformed as a Fighter unit at St Hubert (Montreal), Quebec on 1 August 1952 with Sabre
aircraft, the squadron joined No. 3 (Fighter) Wing at Zweibrucken, Germany in March 1953.
Selected as the first of eight squadrons in No. 1 Air Division Europe to be re-equipped with
CF-104 Starfighter aircraft for a nuclear strike role, it was deactivated on 15 December 1962
and reactivated as Strike Attack on the 17th. On 1 February 1968 the squadron was
integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces. The squadron was disbanded in June 1970, to
be reformed as 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at CFB Petawawa, Ontario.
No. 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron remains at CFB Petawawa where it is currently
equipped with the CH-146 Griffon.
Battle Honours:
English Channel and North Sea 1943-1945, Baltic 1944-1945, Rhine Fortress Europe 19431944, France and Germany 1944-1945, Biscay 1944, Biscay Ports 1943-1944, Ruhr 19431945, Berlin 1943-1944, German Ports 1943-1945, Normandy 1944
Aircraft
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Wellington III (November 1942 - April 1943)
Wellington X (February 1942 - May 1943)
Halifax V (May 1943 - February 1944)
Halifax III (January 1944 - March 1945)
Lancaster I/III (April 1945 - May 1946)
Sabre
CF-104 Starfighter
CH-135 Twin Huey
CH-136 Kiowa
CH-146 Griffon
Historical Achievements
- 1 Wellington laid mines in
Frisian Islands area.
- 9 Lancasters bombed gun positions
on island of Wangerooge & another Lancaster bombed buildings on island of Spiekerooge
due to mistaken identity.
http://www.canadianwings.com/Squadrons/squadronDetail.php?No.-427-Squadron-86