Edward James's Story.
Edward James Wright was born on 7th November 1928 in Montreal, Quebec and was the son of James Albert Wright (1888-1957) and Alfreda May (Harvey) Wright (1907-1974). James Albert Wright was a Sergeant with the RCMP.
Edward attended Charles Tupper School, Halifax between 1932 and 1938 and completed grades seven and eight at West Kent School in Prince Edward Island between 1939 and 1940. He was employed at various odd jobs between 1941 and 1943, and was employed in the canteen at the Knights of Columbus, Halifax, Nova Scotia between February 1943 and June 1943. From August of 1943 until October of 1943 he was employed as a cook with Canadian National Railways in Nova Scotia. He enlisted in the RCAF in Winnipeg on November 18, 1943 having completed a medical on November 11, 1943. His enlistment information indicates he had the approval of his parents to enlist. When he enlisted on 18th November 1943 he had just turned 15 years old although his enlistment documents state that he was born in 1925.. He trained in Canada and obtained his Air Gunner Badge on June 2, 1944. He embarked at Halifax on July 20, 1944 disembarking in the United Kingdom on July 27, 1944. In England he continued training with 260 Operational Training Unit and 1868 HCU and on April 22, 1945 joined 428 ( Ghost) Squadron RCAF. He completed two training missions at 428 Squadron before his final flight on 30th April 1945.
The Loss of KB879
At 10:59 am on April 30, 1945 Lancaster X KB 879 departed RAF Middleton St George on a cross-country training flight. The aircraft was seen to spin down by the gunner in a second aircraft and crashed at 11:55 am in the vicinity of Hixon, North Sandon, Staffordshire. All seven members of the crew were killed instantly. After the accident it was found that the oxygen supply for the crew was turned off so it was suspected that the pilot passed out due to lack of oxygen causing the plane to dive out of control. Eye witnesses on the ground reported that the aircraft had broken up in the air so the pilot may have regained consciousness during the dive and tried to recover the aircraft from the dive causing it to suffer structural failure. However the cause of the accident was never determined with any certainty.
The burial of the six RCAF crew members took place at the Regional Cemetery, Chester on May 4, 1945 and the RAF crew member was given a private funeral on May 4 at Selkirk, Scotland.
The RCAF only became aware of Edward’s true age when they approached his mother to discuss the inscription on his headstone.
The crew members killed on KB879 were
Flight Lieutenant Willam Gavin Campbell (pilot) of Manitoba,
Sergeant John Henry Kay (Navigator) of Alberta,
Sergeant Stuart E. Berryman (Air Bomber) of Manitoba,
Flight Sergeant Walter Graham Ward (Flight Engineer) of Selkirk, Scotland,
Warrant Officer Thomas Daniel Lawley ((Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner) of Hamilton, Ontario
Sergeant John Lester Tweedy (Mid-Gunner) Alberta,
Flight Sergeant Edward James Wright ((Rear Gunner) Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Accident Report 1
Accident Report 2
Accident Report 3
KB879 Memorial
Memorial Plaque
Funeral at Blacon Cemetery
Research by Steve Merrill