15 June 1945 Liberator IX JT985 232 Sqn Near Swanage Dorset The aircraft was carrying a group of RAF reinforcements to India and had taken off on the first stage of the flight. The crew experienced trouble with one of the engines because of a lack of fuel pressure and the pilot decided to land the aircraft. However, he made a non-standard descent through cloud without using the radio aids available to him. Whilst in cloud and generally bad visibility, the aircraft struck a hill and was destroyed by fire. Flying Officer McPherson was an American serving with the RCAF and, unusually, his body was exhumed from its initial resting place at the request of his parents, repatriated to the USA and buried at New Albany Cemetery Mississippi. The others who lost their lives were buried in cemeteries throughout the UK with the Canadian crew members being taken to Brookwood. Casualties Flight Lieutenant Saxon Millis COLE 32 Pilot RCAF Flying Officer Douglas Angus TWADDLE 23 Co-Pilot RCAF Flying Officer Joseph Craig TODD 23 Navigator RCAF Flying Officer George Everett MCPHERSON 26 Wireless Operator RCAF Sergeant George Frederick WYKE 24 Flight Engineer Corporal Leonard George MASON 21 Leading Aircraftman Aneurin Glyndwr GEORGE 23 Leading Aircraftman Frederick Douglas HARRINGTON Corporal Donald Leslie PRATT 36 attached from 120 Sqn Leading Aircraftman William Herbert BLACKBURN 23 Corporal William Herbert BERREY 25 Corporal Douglas Walter ELLIS 33 Leading Aircraftman Leonard Edward HILDROW 31 Leading Aircraftman Ronald WILLIAMS 30 Leading Aircraftman Frederick Stanley YATES 32 Corporal Charles Frederick VENABLES 33 Corporal David James BROWN 24 Leading Aircraftman Dennis W WRIGHT Leading Aircraftman Leslie WILLIAMSON 22 Corporal Albert Ernest DEVESON 24 Leading Aircraftman Kenneth Wilkinson KILBANK 29 Corporal Mark MOSES 24 Leading Aircraftman George PARR 23 Flight Sergeant Alan James COTTIER 25 Corporal William Frederick Stanley Riley 30 Leading Aircraftman Ronald Branker 23 Leading Aircraftman Harrell Goldsworth Evans 22 Source - The Price Of Peace - C. Cummings.
EVANS, HARRELL GOLDSWORTHY Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: 1726829 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 22 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference Div. 31. Grave 123. Cemetery READING CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of James Henry and Gladys May Evans, of Reading.
Name: WILLIAMS, RONALD Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: 1409283 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 30 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference: Plot 39. Sec. H. Row E. Grave 261. Cemetery: BATH (HAYCOMBE) CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Joseph and Jane Williams, of Par, Cornwall. (Photo from Findagrave)
Name: VENABLES, CHARLES FREDERICK Rank: Corporal Service No: 1192551 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 33 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference: Screen Wall. Square 241. Coll. grave 108030. Cemetery: CITY OF LONDON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM, MANOR PARK Additional Information: Son of William David and Rose Louise Venables; husband of Doris May Venables, of Romford.
Name: YATES, FREDERICK STANLEY Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: 1116152 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 32 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference: Plot 39. Sec. H. Row E. Grave 262. Cemetery: BATH (HAYCOMBE) CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Charles and Eleanor Yates, of Walsall. Staffordshire. (Photo from Findagrave)
Name: COLE, SAXON MILLIS Rank: Flight Lieutenant Service No: C/12677 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 32 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit: 232 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference: 61. B. 6. Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Norman and Katherine Cole, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; husband of Peggy Cole, of Ottawa. (Photo from the Vets Affairs of Canada website)
Name: TODD, JOSEPH CRAIG Rank: Flying Officer Trade: Nav. Service No: J/40382 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit: 232 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference: 61. B. 8. Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of Joseph and Margaret Henderson Todd, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photos from the Vets Affairs of Canada website)
Name: TWADDLE, DONALD ANGUS Rank: Flying Officer Service No: J/40840 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit: 232 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference: 61. B. 7. Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of John Bunting Twaddle and Florence McDonald Twaddle, of Trail, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo from the Vets Affairs of Canada website)
Name: McPHERSON, GEORGE EVERETT Rank: Flying Officer Trade: W.Op./Air Gnr. Service No: J/38603 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 26 Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit: 232 (R.A.F.) Sqdn Grave Reference: Wilbanks Div. Lot 25. Cemetery: NEW ALBANY CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of George and Addie E. McPherson, of New Albany, husband of Lois Helen McPherson, of Northmount, Ontario, Canada. (Photo from Findagrave)
Name: BRANKER, RONALD Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: 1723550 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference: Grave D.15. Cemetery: PASTON (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD (Photo from Findagrave)
Name: GEORGE, ANEURIN GLYNDWR Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: 1403825 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit: 232 Sqdn. Grave Reference: S.W. of chapel. Cemetery: PENCAE CHAPELYARD Additional Information: Son of George and Mary Anna George, of Cwmfelinfach, Monmouthshire. (Photo from Findagrave)
Name: HILDROW, LEONARD EDWARD Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service No: 1716485 Date of Death: 15/06/1945 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference: Plot 39. Sec. H. Row D. Grave 261. Cemetery: BATH (HAYCOMBE) CEMETERY (Photo from Findagrave)
From: http://www.canada.com/cityguides/winnipeg/info/story.html?id=b6abbc7a-d535-4608-894c-463d29056bdd&k=17372 Excerpt: Tragic Second World War crash remembered. 62 years after four members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and 23 British airmen perished at the spot, the families of the fallen, local officials and residents, and a representative from the Canadian High Commission in London gathered there October 24, 2007 to unveil a simple but poignant memorial marking the tragic sacrifice. Missing image presumably here: http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/resources/images/423807/ from: http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/1680563.crash_was_the_countys_worst/
232 Squadron Liberator RY-3 JT985 Fl/Lt.Cole, RAF Holmsley South, accident, Polar Wood, near Kingston, Dorset
