Halifax L9614 at Leeming airfield.
At 15.10hrs on 29th December 1941 this 10 Squadron aircraft was in the process of taking off from Leeming airfield for the crew to carry out a training flight. As the aircraft picked up speed it crossed the intersection of another runway and collided with Halifax V9981 that was taking off along another runway. Both aircraft were badly damaged and neither was repaired. Two airmen were sadly killed and a number of others sustained injuries. A subsequent investigation found that the ground control system at Leeming was inadequate. Three members of ground crew are also listed in the casualty file AIR81-11260 as having escaped injury from Halifax L9614.
Pilot - Sgt Warrington Wade Tripp RCAF (R/52883), aged 21, of Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Frederick Mooney RAF (542969). Injured.
Pilot (second pilot?) - F/O John Henry Nassau Molesworth DFC RAFVR (80828). Injured.
Second Pilot - Sgt Philip Gordon Bell RAFVR (1259480). Uninjured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Victor Charles Howick RAFVR (1153454). Uninjured.
F/M.A (ground crew passenger) - AC1 L Geldard RAFVR (1149395). Uninjured.
F/M.E (ground crew passenger) - AC2 Harry Spencer RAFVR (1046814). Uninjured.
Instrument Repairer (ground crew passenger) - AC2 Edward Rowland Bedford RAFVR (1003207). Uninjured.
Warrington Tripp was born on 23rd September 1920 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was the son of Charles De Mille and Florence Adelia (nee Nelson) Tripp. He enlisted for RCAF service on 6th June 1940 at Kingston, Ontario and trained as a pilot, receiving his flying badge in January 1941. Arriving in the UK in March 1941 he trained at 19 OTU before posting to 10 Squadron on 20th May 1941. His younger brother F/O Charles Leroy Tripp was a serving officer in the RCAF in Canada and was sadly killed on 23rd March 1943.
Philip Bell would later survive the crash of Halifax W1158 at North Otterington on 19th June 1942. In July 1942 he was posted to 1484 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight at Driffield and was the pilot of Lysander T1679 that crash landed there on 31st July 1942.
John Molesworth DFC had already been awarded the DFC. At the time of the crash on 19th December 1941 he is listed in the casualty file as serving with 19 O.T.U. rather than 10 Squadron. He was later awarded the DSO and the AFC.
Halifax L9614 was built to contract 692649/37 By Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was received by 24 MU on 10th October 1941. The aircraft was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 8th November 1941. As a result of the damage sustained on 29th December 1941 Cat.E2/FA was the assessment. It was struck off charge in January 1942