On 1st December 1942 this aircraft and one other 63 Squadron Mustang took off from Macmerry, near Edinburgh to fly to Odiham to begin an operational detachment but as they
flew south bad weather forced them to land at Catterick airfield. Both pilots stayed the night at Catterick, where 63 Squadron had been based until recently. On 2nd December 1942
they took off from Catterick to resume the flight to Odiham but while in the Leeming area the pilot of Mustang AM162 noticed that the oil pressure has dropped and that the engine
temperature had risen. Opting to make a landing at Leeming airfield he made turn to approach to land there but the engine cut out and the aircraft dived into a field near Leeming at
10.30hrs. The pilot sustained serious injuries and was taken to Catterick Military Hospital.
Pilot - F/Lt Bertram Harry Bonniface RAF (44518). Seriously injured.
Bertram Bonniface was granted a commission in the Territorial Army, Kent and Sussex Heavy Brigade on 19th October 1938. He was later was serving as 2nd Lt in the
Royal Artillery when he was granted a temporary commission as P/O (war subs) on 7th September 1940. He was later promoted to F/O on 7th September 1941 and to F/Lt
on 7th September 1942. He served with 239 Squadron prio to being posted to 63 Squadron on 15th June 1942 on its reformation at Gatwick. On 2nd November 1944 he
relinquished his commission in the RAF and returned to Army duty.
Mustang AM162 was built to BPC Contract A-1493 by North American Aviation at Inglewood, Dallas, USA and was transported by sea to the UK, arriving at Liverpool in June 1942. From Liverpool Docks it was taken by road to Speke for assembly at No.1 A.A.U. and after flight testing it was allotted to 63 Squadron at Catterick, being taken on charge by them in August 1942. It then moved around with them in the following months; to Weston Zoyland on 6th November 1942, Catterick on 13th November 1942 and Macmerry on 20th November 1942. As a result of the crash near Leeming on 2nd December 1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was the assessment and it was written off.
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