The Welney Website
Halifax LK789 crash, April 1944, Colony Farm
page created 31st July 2010, amended/updated Thursday, 31 March 2011
Serial no. LY862, a similar aircraft.
The colour photo shows serial no LK789.
click any photo for larger image.
above, P/O DR Dibbins
below, F/Sgt JR Bathe & Sgt NM Harrison
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In March 2003 this website was contacted by Mike Harrison in Nottingham who was researching the crash of this aircraft in which all but one of the seven-man crew died, including his uncle Sgt. N M Harrison.
After seven years of effort, including a visit to the crash site in 2009, Mike finally pieced together about as much as he can about this accident and the crew. The results are posted on the Air Crew Rememberance Society's website - the link on the panel at bottom right will take you to the exact page.
Mike discovered from local farmer Ken Goodger, that Ken's grandfather Stan had been in the Welney Fire Brigade during WW2 and had attended the scene. Apparently, Stan and his colleague Bill Kemp rescued the only survivor, the rear gunner F/Sgt John Anderson, from his turret. Another local resident, ex-farmer Cyril Medcalf, remembers being at the scene as a young boy and assisting the doctor who attended to the trapped gunner's injuries by carrying his medical bag from his car.
F/Sgt. Anderson, described as Scottish with a very broad accent, was later taken to RAF Hospital Ely. After recovering he returned to Welney to thank the fire service, and It is thought that he may have come to this area after the war to live.
All those killed were members of the RAF Volunteer Reserve.
| position | rank, name, age |
| pilot | P/O DR Dibbins, 21 |
| Fl Eng | Sgt GJ Head, 20 |
| Navigator | Sgt KC Oswald, 22 |
| Bomb aimer | Fl/Sgt JR Bathe, 30 |
| W/Op, gnr | Sgt JG Davenport, 21 |
| Mid upper gnr | Sgt NM Harrison, 19 |
| Tail gunner | Fl/Sgt J Anderson, ? |
(l to r) Dibbins, Bathe, Anderson, Davenport, Harrison, Oswald, Head.
click images for large view
The operations record book. Note incorrect initials for Sgt Head, should be as table above.
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Acknowledgements. information & photos supplied by and displayed at the request of Michael Harrison and Aircrew Remembrance Society |
A site containing some details of the German pilot (who was himself shot down and killed two days later) and some graphics of his Me410, can also be found on the right.
If you can provide any further details about the crash, the rescue or those involved, please contact the Webmaster using link bottom right. Thanks.
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| Related pages on this website |
| Welney Fire Brigade |
| Welney Roll of Honour WW2 |
| Related External websites |
| Air Crew Rememberance Society |
| Control Towers Website RAF Holme |
| Airfield Memorials Huge Photo site |
| RAF Holme Spalding Moor, Yorks |
| Wartime video of Halifax flight |
| East Anglian Aircraft Research Grp |
| Me410 aircraft & pilot details |