Trafford

Born during the September quarter 1921 in the Hayfield R.D. - ref: 7b/1697,
the son of Eric Horton & Doris Smith (nee Stratton).

518 Squadron was a meteorological unit of Coastal Command, formed in July
1943 at Stornoway to fly weather recording flights over the mid-Atlantic.
The squadron began operations on 15 September 1943, ten days before moving
to the Isle of Tiree, where it remained for the rest of the war.   The
squadron operated the Handley Page Halifax Bomber a/c.

They flew 800 mile missions west out into the Atlantic and north-west to
Iceland.   Their a/c were fully equipped for anti-submarine warfare and
could attack U-boats detected during patrols.   Their observations were
responsible for the 24 hour delay in the launching of D-Day on the 6th June
1944.

They took off for a training flight from RAF Tiree at 13.04 hrs in a
Halifax Mk. V - No. LL186.   In thick cloud, they collided with another
Halifax - No. LL296.