FALAN WT
Falan, Ward Thomas
Personal Information
| Rank | Sgt |
| Forename(s) | Ward Thomas |
| Surname | Falan |
| Gender | M |
| Age | 21 |
| Date of Death | 27-04-1944 |
| Next of Kin | Son of Frederick Thomas Falan and Mamie Edith Falan (née Van Winkle), of Ernesttown, Ontario. |
Aircraft Information
| Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
| Serial Number | JD106 |
| Markings |
Memorial Information
| Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
| Burial/Memorial Place | Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery |
| Grave Reference | Sec. B. Row B. Grave 12. |
| Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
| Phase | 2 |
| Panel Number | 162 |
Enlistment Information
| Service Number | R/207621 |
| Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Group | 7 |
| Squadron | 1666 HCU |
| Trade | Air Gunner |
| Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
| Location | St. Gregory Minster, Kirkdale, North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | RoH |
| Memorial Text | A memorial to the Canadian Airmen who flew from RAF Wombleton during WW2, including 1666 HCU |
| Location | Roadside location, Wombleton, North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Inscribed stone pillar and inscribed metal plaque |
| Memorial Text | A memorial to the Canadian Airmen who flew from RAF Wombleton during WW2, including 1666 HCU |
Miscellaneous Information
| This was the only fatal flying accident at Wombleton airfield during the Second World War. |
| Ward was born on 5 November 1922 in Ernesttown, Ontario. His father was a farmer born in Hastings County, Ontario and his mother born in Kingston. Ward had three siblings, brothers George , who was in the Canadian Army, overseas, and Clayton. Also a sister Nefella Lilian Edith. He attended Woodville Public School 1928-1936 (Entrance) and Woodville Cont. School 1936-1938 (2 years of High School grade 1X). His sporting interests were running and baseball. Ward worked on his father’s farm in Hawley, Ontario June 1938 - November 1938 and then was unemployed, living at home until 1939. He was farming again, 1939-1941 at Morven , Ontario, and was a machine operator at Canadian Locomotive Co, in Kingston 1941-1942. He then had a spell in hospital and from June onwards worked at the hospital as a porter. |
| Enlisting on 7 January 1943, he embarked for the U.K. on 22 October 1943. After 3 PRC KN 31 October 1943 he went to 23 OTU ON 16 November 1943, 61 Base on 19 March 1944 and 1666 CU on 2 April 1944. He was killed a little over three weeks later. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
| Start Date | 27-04-1944 |
| End Date | 27-04-1944 |
| Takeoff Station | Wombleton |
| Day/Night Raid | Day |
| Operation | Training- Bullseye exercise |
| Reason for Loss | Halifax JD106 was parked on the southern perimeter track at Wombleton airfield awaiting clearance for take off when at 23.17hrs, Halifax JB859 and its crew had stopped on the same perimeter track behind Halifax JD106 but the brakes were thought to have not been properly applied and it rolled forward into Halifax JD106. Both port propellers were rotating and they struck the rear of Halifax JD106, killing the rear gunner. The rear of the Halifax was also badly damaged. The rest of the crew of JD106 would complete their training and become a well-decorated crew with 419 Squadron. |