Halifax at Wombleton airfield.
During the evening of the 8th of August 1944 the crew of this aircraft were to undertake a practice bombing exercise when it swung violently
to port on take-off at 18.05hrs. The aircraft left the runway and crossed the grass for 300 yards. As it was nearing a parked
aircraft near the airfield boundary fence the pilot raised the undercarriage to
try and avoid a collision. The starboard undercarriage retracted slightly earlier than the port and the aircraft crashed onto its
belly, buckling the forward
fuselage and the starboard wing tip contacted the ground, resulting in the ripping off of the starboard outer engine. The crew of 8
evacuated the safely. Upon inspection it was considered that the main spar was possibly bent and the aircraft deemed beyond economic repair.
Halifax HR855 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett and delivered to 35 Sqdn at Graveley in late May 1943.
It was transferred to 428 Sqdn at Middleton St.George in January 1944 when the unit was in the process of converting from
Halifax B.V's to B.IIs. In June 1944 428 Sqdn converted to Lancaster MkX's and the aircraft was transferred to 1666 HCU at Wombleton.
It was written off as a result of the incident detailed above with Cat. E/FA damage being sustained, it was reduced to spares and produce.
Pilot - F/O William W Osborn RCAF (J/26673), of Preston, Ontario, Canada.
Other seven - Names not known.
""completed...numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which [he has] invariably
displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty."" DHist file 181.009 D.1941 (RG.24 Vol.20612) has
Hugh Hallidays research also states that F/Lt Osborn commenced his tour on 10th September 1944 by doing a trip to Calais, he
brought his aircraft back to base on two good and one faulty engines. Again on a day time Op to Cologne on 2nd March 1945 he
returned from the target on three engines. Mr Halliday reports that ""at all times during his tour of 36 trips this pilot has shown
a high degree of courage, initiative and keenness. He
has led his crew in bombing such difficult targets as Dresden, Munich and Nuremburg. This pilot's standard of crew
captaincy has been exceptional.""
William Osborn was born in 1921 in Preston, Ontario and lived in Hespeler where he worked as a labourer. he enlisted
in Hamilton on 14th July 1942. He was Commissioned May 1943 and F/O Osborn was later posted to 419 Sqdn. As the War came to a close
he was awarded the DFC, the Award effective from 8th September 1945 and presented on 22nd June 1949. When recommended on 5th
April 1945 he had flown 36 sorties (237 hrs, 15 mins) between 10th September 1944 and 15th March 1945.
There was no citation
other than..