Mitchell HD319 Plaque

Mitchell HD 319

Crashed July 14, 1944

Flight Crew of HD 319

F/O LR Hannah (RAFVR 159853) Pilot, Chatham, Kent

P/O JWC Reeve (RAFVR 165334) Navigator, Hale, Cheshire

P/O D Johnston, (RAFVR 165320) Bomb Aimer, Aberdeen, Scotland

Sgt EG Waters, (RAFVR 1387364) WOp/AG, Romford, Essex

At 0930hrs on the 14 July, 1944, seven RAF crews undergoing operational training at 5 OTU at RCAF Station Boundary Bay were briefed on Cross Country Navigation exercise 108D. The route was from Boundary Bay to a point 160 nms west of Vancouver Island, then to Port Hardy, further onwards to a bomb run near Pat Bay, and then home for a total of 4.5 hours. HD 319 took off at 1046. They entered cloud on the second leg and at 1312 hrs reported being twenty-three minutes out of Port Hardy. They were never heard from again and an eleven-day search failed to find them. The remaining six crews were able to complete the mission with no problems. In September 1960 a prospector discovered the wreckage, on course, 30 nms from Port Hardy. The aircraft appeared to have hit the side of the hill with debris scattered along a three quarters mile long path. The crew were likely thrown out by the impact as no bodies were ever found.

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