On completion of their training at 1668 Conversion Unit, Flying Officer James Crawford and his crew were posted to 626 Squadron.
Their first operational sortie was flown on 16 November 1944. The 20th February 1945 saw the crew take off for their 11th, and sadly, last sortie. The target was Dortmund. As they neared the target their Lancaster crashed close to the villages of Hagen and Haspe. It is possible they were the victims of an enemy night fighter. Sergeant T Whitby is reported to have survived the crash but nothing further has been discovered about him.
Lancaster LM726 UM-P2
Flying Officer W N Patterson RCAF J27256 Pilot
Flying Officer J A Beck RCAF J40392 Navigator
Flying Officer J Crawford 163535 Bomb Aimer
Sergeant K Etherington 2209136 Wireless Operator
Sergeant A T Dixon 1672038 Flight Engineer
Sergeant T Whitby 2221970 Mid Upper Gunner
Sergeant H D Rutt 1899341 Rear Gunner
Flying Officer James Crawford has no known grave and is commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, panel 266.
Commonwealth War Graves Commision
Dave Stapleton 626 Squadron Research Project
