Halifax L9496 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On 24th October 1941 on the approach to land at Linton on Ouse the pilot lowered the undercarriage but the port main undercarriage did not lock down properly, nor did a warning horn sound in the cockpit to warn the crew of this fact. At 11.00hrs a landing was made at Linton on Ouse but the port undercarriage then collapsed before it had completed the landing run. The aircraft received minor damage. (Note: The date I previously had as being on 28th October 1941 before obtaining the AM Form 1180 which states it occurred four days earlier. I also had the aircraft as being flown from 76 Squadron at Middleton St.George to Linton on Ouse where it was to be transferred to 28 Conversion Flight but there is no mention of this on the AM Form 1180).
Pilot - P/O John Hugh Trethewy RAFVR (113359).
Crew - Names unknown.
John Trethewy received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 5th August 1941 and rose to F/O (war subs) on 12th August 1942. He was instructing with 1652 HCU on 17th August 1942 when he was killed in the crash of Halifax L9602 near Sowerby, Thirsk. He is buried at Daventry Churchyard, Northamptonshire.
Halifax L9496 was one of the first Halifaxes built. It was built to contract 692649/39 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 24 MU on 22nd December 1940. On 15th February 1941 it was taken on charge by 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse where it carried the squadron code "TL-N". It was damaged on 23rd March 1941 when the tail wheel collapsed on landing at Linton on Ouse and the minor damage was repaired on site. On 19th June 1941 it was transferred to 76 Squadron at Middleton St.George. On 12th September 1941 it received Cat.R damage at Linton on Ouse. The AM Form 1180 for this incident states it was with 76 Squadron but this was then crossed out in favour of 1652 Conversion Unit being the unit involved. 1652 C.U. did not exist as early as this. The following day the damage was assessed by No.43 Group D.A. and a repair on site began. The repair took a month; it was back with 76 Squadron on 13th October 1941. On 28th October 1941 it was transferred to 28 Conversion Flight at Linton on Ouse but appears to have sustained minor damage on delivery, sustaining Cat.Ac/FA damage. It was repaired on site and returned to 28 C.F. on 22nd January 1942 which worked within and was later absorbed by 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor. On 12th February 1942 it sustained unspecified Cat.Ac/FA damage and once again was repaired on site. On return to service it was officially transferred to the books of 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor but that date is not given on the aircraft's AM Form 78. As a result of a landing incident at Burn airfield on 16th August 1942 the damage was again assessed and this time the more serious Cat.E/FA damage was the result. It was struck off charge on 16th August 1942 having clocked up a total of 229 flying hours.