Unidentified Halifax (L9496?) at Marston Moor airfield.
On 10th February 1942 this 1652 Conversion Unit aircraft landed at Marston Moor airfield but was slightly damaged when snow was flung up and struck the flaps.
The aircraft was possibly Halifax L9496 that received a Cat.Ac/FA damage assessment on 12th February 1942. The 1652 Conversion Unit orb does not mention any flying accident occurring on 12th February 1942 but this one two days earlier is the only unidentified incident that may fit with it's damage.
Crew - Names unknown.
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 was reported having sustained minor Cat.R damage but no details of how this occurred are known, it was not used operationally by 76 Squadron at all during August and September 1941. 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. While it was being repaired 28 C.F. was absorbed by 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor. It was repaired on site and returned to 1652 C.U. by the end of January 1942. 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.