George Mccrimmon's Story.
George McCrimmon Anderson was born 13th January 1915 in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada and was the son of William Thomas and Jonerah Anderson (nee Riggin). After leaving school he worked as a butcher for three years and as a clerk for a tobacco wholesaler. He enlisted for RCAF service in Hamilton on 16th June 1942 and trained in Canada, being awarded his Air Bomber's badge on 3rd November 1943. He left Canada in late November 1943 and arrived in the UK on 1st December 1943.. He trained at 7 (O)AFU from 22nd February 1944 and was posted to 22 OTU on 4th April 1944.Crash of Wellington HZ715 on Red Pike.
On 16th June 1944 this 22 O.T.U. aircraft was to be flown on a cross country training flight combined with a dual control flying exercise with a mixed crew. A trainee crew of five were to fly their first cross country flight in the Wellington, they were to be joined by two instructing aircrew; one giving wireless operating instruction and the other as a pilot instructor. Also on board was a passenger (who was also an instructor) making a total crew of eight. The route that was planned in advance of taking off was to fly from base of Wellesbourne Mountford and use turning points of Newmarket, Barnard Castle, Malton, Aylesbury, Priors Hardwick before returning to base. The passenger had obtained permission to obtain a lift to Crosby on Eden airfield, near Carlisle a few days before this flight as he was to go on a period of leave and his commanding officer had permitted him to fly in a passenger in a Wellington the next time a cross country flight was roughly in the area. The leg of this flight was then extended from Barnard Castle to head to Crosby on Eden to land and drop off the passenger before heading back south. With the route of the cross country training flight agreed the night previously, the passenger then checked the weather forecast prior to take off. The Met Officer later stated that he believed that the landing was to be made in Yorkshire and not at Carlisle and while the forecast was not at all good over the North of England it was deemed acceptable to fly the route and land in Yorkshire (not (now) Cumbria). In general this was a reasonably common occurrance for aircrew to use available aircraft to ferry themselves around when the opportunity arose. The Wellington took off from Wellesbourne Mountford at 10.24hrs and begun flying the planned route. All appears to have gone well until they passed Barnard Castle but then they appear to have flown into poor weather. Believing they were flying on the correct course they began to let down through cloud to make the landing at Crosby on Eden, what had actually happened is that they had flown off track by twenty five miles earlier in the flight and instead of making an east-west approach to Crosby they had flown across the northern Lake District from east to west and begun to let down through cloud while crossing high ground. Their course would have seen them cross over the "Dodds" / Helvellyn range at a safe height but then to descend reasonably quickly heading west flying roughly over the Newlands Pass, the aircraft was heard flying over Buttermere but then failed to clear high ridge between Red Pike and High Seat. It struck the rock face only feet below the summit of Red Pike at 13.35hrs killing all on board instantly.
Crew who died in the crash of HZ715
Pilot (Instructor) - P/O Albert Digby Cooper RCAF (J/18201), aged 25, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/1068).
Pilot (Pupil) - F/O Frederick Allen Dixon RCAF (J/35425), aged ? of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/986).
Pilot (Passenger) - F/Lt Emil Unterseher RCAF (J/16129), aged 29, of Hilda, Alberta, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/322).
Navigator - F/O Daniel Titleman RCAF (J/38329), aged 26, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/63).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt George McCrimmon Anderson RCAF (R/168378), aged 29, of Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/896).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (Instructor) - F/O Roy Edward Simonson RCAF (J/19182), aged 23, of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/149).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - WO1 George Richard Coathup RCAF (R/115256), aged 23, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/279).
Air Gunner - Sgt Campbell McRae Hodges RCAF (R/266186), aged 34, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buried Blacon Cemetery, Chester (A/806).
Crash Location
Parts of the aircraft at the crash site