- Type of Memorial
- Serviceman / Servicewoman
- WMR Reference Number
- 10177
- Description
- Bronze figure of airman in flying kit mounted on stone obelisk. Dedicatory inscription on the front face with additional plaques placed on the side faces. Adjacent metal plaque lists squadrons and sorties who flew from RAF Croft
- Inscription
- Front face of obelisk: PER ARDUA AD ASTRA/ IN MEMORY OF/ AND TO HONOUR/ THOSE WHO SERVED/ AT CROFT DURING/ WORLD WAR II./ DEDICATED BY THE/ MEMBERS OF 431 IROQUOIS/ AND 434 BLUENOSE/ R.C.A.F. SQUADRONS,/ 6 GROUP BOMBER COMMAND./ 26 SEPTEMBER 1987
Front face of plinth: 78 squadron R.A.F. 1664 H.C.U./ 419 427 431 434 SQUADRONS R.C.A.F./ 1941 - 1945
LH face of obelisk: In Honour of the men and/ women who gallantly served/ with 434 Blue Nose Squadron/ of the 4th Bomber Group/ 1941 - 1945/ (Warriors of the air)
RH face of obelisk: In honour of the men and women/ who gallantly served with/ 431 Iroquois Squadron/ of the 6th Bomber Group/ 1942-1945/ (Warriors of the Air)
Information plaque: RAF RCAF/ 1941 CROFT 1945/ OPENED OCTOBER 1941 for 78 Sqn. flying WHITLEYs of No. 4 BOMBER GROUP/ Converted to HALIFAX Blls - took part in 1000 bomber raid MAY, 1942/
(left side): 419 RCAF (MOOSE - WELLINGTON IIIs) OCT. 1st 1942 - NOV 9th 1942/
(right side): 427 RCAF (LION) - WELLINGTON IIIs NOV. 7th 1942 - 4TH MAY 1943 - HALIFAX Vs/
MAY 10th, 1943 - 1664 H.C.U. - HALIFAX (HEAVY CONVERSION UNIT)/
(left side): 431 RCAF (IROQUOIS)/ DEC. 10th, 1943 - JUNE, 1945/ HALIFAX IIIs to OCT, '44/ RECORD/ 2,573 SORTIES, 14,000 tons bombs/ LOSSES/ 72 AIRCRAFT, 490 AIRCREW/ AWARDS/ 1 DSO,63 DFC, 10 DFM, 2 GM/ 1 MENTION/
(right side): 434 RCAF (BLUENOSE)/ DEC. 11, 1943 - JUNE, 1945/ LANCASTER Xs from OCT, '44/ RECORD/ 2,597 SORTIES, 10,358 tons bombs/ 225 mines/ LOSSES/ 74 AIRCRAFT, 493 AIRCREW/ AWARDS/ 6 bars DFC, 168 DFC, 6 DFM/ 7 MENTIONS/
Both Squadrons operated Halifax IIIs to October 1944 and Lancaster 10's from October 1944/ LAST OPERATION APRIL 25th, 1945/ SQUADRONS DISBANDED - DARTMOUTH, NOVA SCOTIA, SEPT. 5th, 1945/ THIS MEMORIAL WAS UNVEILED BY BRIGADIER-GENERAL "BILL" NEWSON RCAF and/ DEDICATED BY THE VERY REVEREND JOHN SOUTHGATE - DEAN OF YORK/ DALTON on TEES PARISH COUNCIL/ R. PETER SIMPSON (CHAIRMAN) 1987