MAGNES Julius Harold

Harold Julius Magnes enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force on 29th April 1942 at No 1 Recruiting Centre, RCAF, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  He was born on 31st March 1916 in Lockwood, Saskatchewan, the son of Martin Oscar Magnes, farmer and his wife Emma Magnes, nee Oden.  At the time of his attestation Harold gave his permanent address as Port Kells, British Columbia and his occupation as a Soldier, previously a farm hand for 3 years and a planerman for 5 years.  He was discharged from the army in order to enlist in the air force.  He had no previous flying experience. Harold was 5 feet 5½ inches tall with a dark complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair.

Various assessments undertaken during his enlistment to join the RCAF reveal that he was a “resolute type of lad” (Personnel Officer), “mentally alert and intelligent”. Should make a good W.A.C. (Medical Officer) and “good type conscientious and would seem well suited for training” (Interviewing Officer).

The RCAF accident report records the following information on Harold Magnes:
Rank: P/O Unit: No 23 O.T.U. Pershore
Date and time of accident: 9.11.43 19.49 hrs
Place of accident: Rowney Green, S.E. of Alvechurch
Circumstances: Result of an accident to Wellington aircraft X.3932 at 19.49 hours on 9th November 1943, whilst engaged on night flying exercise
Aircrew category: Wireless Operator, undergoing operational training.
Description of injuries: Multiple injuries and burns.

Pilot Officer Harold Julius Magnes, age 27, serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force was buried in consecrated ground in Pershore Cemetery on 13th November 1943.  The ceremony was performed by the Reverend H. Crawford Scott.

Register of Burials in War Graves in Pershore Cemetery courtesy of Pershore Town Council.

The following is an extract from a letter from Delwyn Griffith, Midland Aircraft Recovery Group which was printed in The Village magazine, December 2010:
The story of the crash is as follows: At 18.38 hours, Wellington X3932 of 30 Operational training Unit took off from its base at Pershore on a routine training exercise manned by its newly-formed pupil crew from The Royal Canadian Air Force.
By 19.40 hours, the exercise had been successfully completed and X3932 was on its landing approach to Pershore.
At this point the aircraft’s port engine failed.  Unable to make a safe landing, the pilot opted to overshoot and continued to fly northward.  A Wellington could not maintain height on one engine and as the aircraft was already below the altitude from which a safe parachute descent could be made, something had to be done.
The pilot, therefore, began a turn to starboard, but too much air speed had been lost and drag from the failed engine whipped the aircraft into a vicious turn to port causing it to stall and dive into the ground at 19.49 hours.
The aircraft fell starboard wing low and such was the force of the impact that the starboard engine was driven nine feet into the ground.  Fuel tanks burst and the wreck caught fire immediately, burning petrol setting fire to a nearby hayrick.
First on the scene were members of the Home Guard led by Mr Craner, of Rowney Green.  There was nothing they could do for the crew who had all been killed on impact so they attempted to contain the fire until the arrival of the National Fire Service.

The inscription on Rowney Green Memorial reads:
THIS MAPLE TREE WAS PLANTED TO REMEMBER
[Names]
OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE WHO LOST THEIR
LIVES WHEN THEIR WELLINGTON BOMBER CRASHED
AT ROWNEY GREEN ON 9 NOV 1943
“WE WILL REMEMBER THEM”
Alvechurch Ex Services Association 2007.