Halifax L9569 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
At 21.00hrs on 9th December 1941 this 35 Squadron aircraft suffered the tail wheel collapse on landing at Linton on Ouse airfield causing the aircraft to swing out of control. Possibly resulting in a main undercarriage leg then also collapsing.
Pilot - P/O Robert Alexander Norman RAAF (400102).
Crew - Names unknown.
Robert Norman was born on 3rd July 1916 in Australia. He worked in a bank for nine years before enlisting into the RAAF on 27th May 1940. Having gained his Wings on 24th December 1940 he was posted to the UK and after training to fly bombers was posted to 35 Squadron, arriving on 18th April 1941 but soon left and was posted to 58 Squadron on 24th April 1941. He returned to 35 Squadron on 25th July 1941 and received his commission on 9th August 1941, and was posted to 1652 CU on 16th November 1941. He rose to F/O on 9th February 1942 and F/Lt on 9th August 1943. As Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DFC for service with 35 Squadron in May 1943, the citation reads.. "S/Ldr Norman is a courageous and skilful captain of aircraft, who throughout his many operational sorties has shown outstanding keenness and determination." This DFC was almost certainly as a result of completing a Tour with 35 Squadron, he had taken the rank as Acting W/C much earlier than this on 2nd March 1943 when he was posted to command 1663 HCU. On 8th September 1943 he was posted to command 460 Squadron but this was short lived as on 8th October 1943, on his first operational flight of his second Tour, he was the pilot of Lancaster EE202 on Ops to Hannover when the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter south of Hannover. The aircraft broke up in the process of the crew getting clear of the aircraft and he landed unconsious. He was taken prisoner by the German police the following day but suffered head injuries in the process of getting out of the aircraft and saw out the War as a PoW spending 18 months in Stalag Luft III at Sagan. He may have been awarded the DSO but no details of this are in his service records which would cast doubt on this award but he was certainly Mentioned in Despatches on 28th November 1944. He was discharged on 26th May 1947.
Halifax L9569 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was received by 24 MU on 20th June 1941 and was taken on charge by 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 2nd August 1941. On 11th September 1941 it was force landed at Egthorne, Kent on return from Ops to Turin in thick cloud and running out of fuel. Minor damage resulted and a repair on site was carried out. As a result of a mishap at Linton on Ouse on 9th December 1941 the damage appears to have been assessed as Cat.A/FA and it was repaired locally on site at Linton on Ouse. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that it then received two repairs on site, the first beginning on 14th December 1941 and the second on 30th December 1941. The aircraft was returned to 35 Squadron use on 31st January 1942 and was then transferred to 10 Squadron Conversion Flight at Leeming on 14th February 1942. The aircraft crash landed at Leeming and suffered damage on 29th March 1942 that saw a damage assessment of Cat.Ac/FA damage recorded. A repair on site was carried out and it was returned to 10 Squadron (Conversion Flight) on 7th July 1942. The unit moved to Melbourne on 26th August 1942. On 7th October 1942 it was transferred to the care of 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall. It then crashed at Melbourne on 4th January 1943. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was struck off charge on 14th January 1943.