Halifax NP721 at East Moor airfield.
On 6th August 1944 this Halifax was landing following a training flight, the aircraft touched down
too far along the runway to be able to stop in time and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway, through a fence and into the ditch at the Strensall Lane
end of the airfield at 16.31hrs. The aircraft suffered extensive damage though in time it was repaired and flew again. The ditch at this end of the
airfield claimed a number of aircraft. The pilot named was the aircraft's regular pilot around this era and whilst it has to be fully confirmed
it is assumed that he was the pilot.
Pilot - F/Lt David Von Laufer RCAF
crew probably...
Navigator - P/O M Derry
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt A Philmester
Wireless Operator - Air Gunner - Sgt P Holt
Air Gunner - Sgt J MacFadden
Flight Engineer - Sgt Syd Kinch
Rear Gunner - Sgt Harold D (or N) Ramey RCAF
Halifax NP721 was built to contract 1688/C4/C by Handley Page at Radlett and delivered to 426 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse on 28th
July 1944 by mistake, it was a mistake as this unit only operating Halifax B.III's at the time, so it was immediately transferred
to 432 Squadron at East Moor, arriving on 30th July 1944. The aircraft suffered damage recorded as Cat.A(c)/FA on 6th August 1944
(detailed above). It was repaired on site and the repair was completed by 27th August 1944. It was again damaged, this time
suffering flak damage on 14th October 1944 during a day-light attack on Duisburg, it sustained flak damage to the port wing, holing
two fuel tanks and an oil tank. It returned safely to East Moor and was repaired on site with repair being completed by 16th
November 1944. It was destroyed not long after with Cat.E/Burnt damage recorded on 5th December 1944 when swung out of control
on take off for Ops to Soest and crashed, caught fire and later exploded. NP721 commenced Ops on 1st August 1944 and was
setting off on it's twenty first when it exploded at East Moor.