ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192948
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| Date: | Friday 19 January 1940 |
| Time: | 09:00 |
| Type: |  Avro Anson Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 502 (Ulster) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N5050 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | on the foreshore, some 4 miles east of Rhyl, Denbeighshire, Wales -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire |
On the morning of 19 January 1940 the Avro Anson I N5050 ’YG-B’ of 502 Squadron RAF crashed on the foreshore some 4 miles east of the north Wales seaside resort of Rhyl during a snowstorm at 09:00 hrs, just an hour after taking off from Hooton Park for a convoy escort sortie.
The pilot, Flying Officer John Randall Garrett, a pre-war member of 502, having been awarded his wings in November 1937, was seriously injured. His Observer, 31 year old Sergeant Harold Christopher Moorby from Belfast, another pre-war member of 502, lost his life. The two other crew, 24 year old LAC Air Gunner Thomas Christopher McClure also from Belfast and Wireless Operator AC1 Robert Beattie, a 29 year old Scot from Wigtown, died a short time later from their injuries.
Along with AC2 Wilfred Crossland, who had been killed the previous day when he accidentally walked into the rotating propeller of the port engine on the same aircraft, these gentlemen were the first casualties on war service with the squadron.
It should also be noted that the sole survivor, Flying Officer John Garrett's injuries were severe enough that he remained in hospital for several months. His 1958 death certificate attributed his death to complications from injuries sustained in the crash.
Sources:
1. The Anson File (Ray Sturtivant, Air Britain, 1988)
2. https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?97094-502-Sdn-pilot-information-request&p=1517147#post1517147
3. https://100548.activeboard.com/t39255487/avro-anson-plane-crash-1940/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2690322/moorby,-harold-christopher/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2930986/mcclure,-thomas-christopher/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2455832/beattie,-robert/
7. https://www.ww2ni.com/greaterbelfastpart4.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Jan-2017 07:36 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 09-Oct-2018 18:37 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 10-May-2019 01:34 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-May-2023 16:42 | Nepa | Updated [[Time, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]] |
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