408 Squadron’s Last Casualties of WW2 and The Final Flight of EQ-U Lancaster Mk X KB993
18 May 1945
RAF Station Linton-on Ouse
The war in Europe had ended 10 days before and life at 408 Squadron was good. With only 4 weeks remaining until the Squadron redeployed to Canada, the wartime alert levels had been stood down and daily operations took on a training and maintenance role. While the air war against Germany was over, 408 Squadron was one of eight squadrons selected for redeployment to the Pacific Theater of Operations and the continued fight against Japan. The squadron had begun conversion to the Avro Lancaster X from their Handley Page Halifax VII bombers and 40 Squadron was devoting most of its time to flight and ground training.
In the early evening, Flying Officer Anthony Clifford and his crew were in the circuit practicing
At 2210 hours, EQ-U was observed flying into the hillside of James’s Thorn above Ashton Clough in Derbyshire. All six of the crew perished in the crash, making them the last 408 Squadron casualties of the Second World War.
Memorial to the RCAF Crew of KB993
On 18 May 1995, on the 50th anniversary of the crash, a memorial to KB993 and its crew was unveiled at the crash site. Two men from the Glossop are, Paul Booth and Stephen Lewis were the driving force behind the memorial. It also has a plaque commemorating the crash of a USAAF C-47 Skytrain a few meters away from the same site on 24 July 1947, claiming the entire crew. The ceremony was attended by Mrs. Marion Clifford, the 91 year old mother of Flying Officer Clifford and other relatives of the crew, including the widow of the tail gunner, Flight Sergeant Hellekson.
The lower plaque reads;
| UNVEILED ON 18th MAY 1995 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRASH OF KB993 BY MRS MARION CLIFFORD, CANADA. ERECTED BY PAUL BOOTH AND STEPHEN LEWIS TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE KILLED. |
The upper plaque reads;
| ON THE NIGHT OF MAY 18th 1945 AVRO LANCASTER KB993 OF CANADIAN 408 SQUADRON CRASHED AT THIS PLACE.THE CREW WERE FLYING CIRCUITS AND BUMPS
F.O A.A CLIFFORD F.O D.A FEHRMAN W.O M.C CAMERON F.S C.J HALVORSON F.S L.C HELLERSON P.O K.B McIVERTWENTY SEVEN DAYS LATER 408 GOOSE SQUADRON RETURNED TO CANADA. FOR FREEDOM. NEARBY ON THE MOOR BELOW LIE THE REMAINS OF C47 SKYTRAIN 2108982 WHICH CRASHED ON THE 24 JULY 1945 WITH THE LOSS OF ALL ON BOARD. 1st Lt G.L.JOHNSON USAAF 1st Lt E.W.BURNS USAAF 1st Lt B.W. IZLAR USAAF Sgt T.R. McCROCKLIN USAAF Sgt F.M MALONEY USAAF Cpl G.R ALEXANDER USAAF LAC J.D MAIN RAF IN MEMORY THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN |
The crew of EQ-U is interned at Brookwood Military Cemetery at Pirbright, UK. In September of 2006 Christine Hulett, the great-niece of WO2 M.C. Cameron, visited the cemetery and took photos of the grave markers of the crew. The photos above were provided by her for 408 Squadron.
