At 20.51hrs on 20th November 1944 the crew of this 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Lindholme airfield to undertake a night training flight. As the aircraft left the ground it failed to climb away properly and struck the gable end of a house in Coppice Avenue, Hatfield, the aircraft then crashed at or close to Dalepit Farm. The wreckage caught fire and sadly five of the crew were killed. Two other members of the crew survived and two girls asleep in the bedroom of the house the aircraft struck were injured by falling debris. It was thought that the aircraft had lost what height it had gained after taking off because the flaps were raised instead of undercarriage allowing aircraft to sink towards the ground, the levers were next to each other in the cockpit. The crash site may have been built over in the years after the war. This was the first aircraft of three 1656 HCU Halifaxes to crash over the next hour in this small vicinity all put down to the incorrect used of the flap or bomb-door levers, the crew of the second aircraft, Halifax HR794, escaped with their lives but six of the crew of the third, Halifax W7875 were killed when the aircraft struck Lings Farm, Dunsville which was around half a mile nearer the airfield.
Pilot - F/O Michael Arnold Gleason RCAF (J/27667), aged 26. Buried Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire (H/C/2).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Dennis Arthur Dilley RAFVR (1583059), aged 24. Buried Braunstone Churchyard, Leicestershire.
Navigator- F/O Derek John Povey RAFVR (164204), aged 31. Buried Hatfield Woodhouse Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Ronald Thompson RAFVR (1866655), aged 19. Buried Watford North Cemetery, Hertfordshire.
Air Gunner - Sgt Horace Samuel Emery RAFVR (3040593), aged 19. Buried South Hetton Churchyard, Durham.
Bomb Aimer - F/O Peter Donald Rowland Senn RAFVR (164821). Slightly injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt A Blanchard. Seriously injured.
2 Civilians - Names unknown. Slightly injured.
Michael Gleason was born on 8th June 1918 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Thomas and Mary Anastasia (nee O'Connor) Gleason. As a young man he studied Law in the Department of the Attorney General for Ontario and at Osgoode Hall, University of Toronto. He enlisted for RCAF service in Toronto on 22nd May 1942 and trained as a pilot. He was awarded his pilots' flying badge and also a commission on 25th June 1943. While on leave he married Violet Isabel Ewan in Toronto in July 1943 and then left for service overseas in November 1943. On arrival in the UK he trained at 6 (P)AFU, 1516 B.A.T.Flight and 18 OTU before posting to 1656 HCU in October 1944. His brothers Cecil Thomas Gleason and Thomas O'Connor Gleason served in the RCAF while Edward Joseph Gleason served in the Navy.
Derek Povey's grave at Hatfield Woodhouse. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 25th February 1944 and rose to F/O six months later.
Halifax BB254 was built to contract B.124357/40 by the London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden and was delivered to 18 MU on 6th November 1942. It was taken on charge by 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit at Lindholme on 21st December 1942. As a result of a landing accident at Lindholme on 17th January 1943 minor Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site with it being returned to 1656 HCU on 12th February 1943. On 27th February 1943 it was again slightly damaged in a flying accident at Lindholme that saw Cat.Ac/FA damage and again it was repaired on site. It was returned to 1656 H.C.U. on 22nd May 1943. On 7th February 1944 it was damaged at Lindholme that again saw a Cat.Ac/FA damage assessment and again it was repaired on site, with it returned to 1656 H.C.U. on 12th March 1944. On 23rd August 1944 it was assessed as being in need of a repair and again Cat.Ac damage was the assessment. The aircraft was repaired on site and was returned to 1656 H.C.U. on 14th October 1944. It remained at 1656 H.C.U. until it crashed at Dunscroft on 20th November 1944. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment after this incident and it was struck off charge on 24th November 1944.