Halifax Bomber Crash at Langham, Mumby
On the night of September 1st 1942 a Royal Canadian Airforce Halifax Bomber crashed in Langham. The plane was on a mission to bomb Saabrucken in Germany.
After taking off from Topcliffe in Yorkshire the aircraft developed engine trouble after crossing the English coast. The engines caught fire and the Captain ordered the crew of seven to bail out. 4 of the crew died in the accident.
Crew
Pilot - Flt.Sgt. Norman McKenzie RCAF. Aged 27. Died.
Flight Engineer - Flt.Sgt. J.Alexander RAF. Survived.
Navigator - Pilot Officer B.Mason RAF. survived.
Bomb Aimer - Flt.Sgt. Kaucharik RCAF. Survived.
Wireless Operator - Flt.Sgt. Clarence Eagles RCAF. Aged 26. Died.
Mid Upper Gunner - Flt.Sgt. H.Stone RAF. Aged 20. Died.
Rear Gunner - Flt.Sgt. Louis Dawdy RCAF. Aged 26. Died.
A memorial to these brave airmen was erected on September 4th 2004 and can be found in Langham Lane, Mumby.
The Robertshaw Tragedy
In October 1920 tragedy struck two sisters, Hilda Robertshaw, aged 33, the school mistress of Mumby School and her sibling, Bessie, age 31, also a teacher at Cumberworth.
The two ladies were sitting on the rocks at Perranporth on the Cornish coast when an unexpected wave washed over Bessie and cast her onto the rocks below. Hilda immediately tried to rescue her drowning sister and leapt into the sea. She was seen waving her arms but never managed to reach her sister. Both bodies werer recovered several hours later. There is a plaque in memory of the two sisters in Mumby church.