Halifax L9621 at Croft airfield.
During the early hours of the 16th May 1942 the trainee pilot of this 78 Conversion Flight aircraft was attempting to land at Croft airfield in bad weather and had made five unsuccessful attempts before the instructor took control. When he touched down at 02.00hrs a swing developed and the undercarriage collapsed. This would be the pupil's first incident at Croft in eleven days as on 29th May 1942 he was the pilot of Halifax W1090 which struck into Halifax DG220 on the airfield.
Instructor Pilot - F/Sgt William Everett Lunan RCAF (R/71746).
Trainee Pilot - Sgt Walter Dench RAFVR (1182341).
William Lunan was born on 13th March 1910 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada and was the son of Fredwell and Margaret Lila (nee Carefoot) Lunan. Both his parents were natives of Collingwood, Ontario but had probably moved to Saskatchewan as part of his father's job as a school teacher. His parents later retired to Willowdale, Toronto. As a child William attended school in Saskatchewan but moved to Toronto to find work in 1936. He enlisted into the RCAF on 28th August 1940 in Toronto stating he wished to train to become an air gunner, he was however then later trained as a pilot and received his Wings in June 1941. He married Margaret Olivia Mildred Blore also in June 1941 just before heading overseas. On arrival in the UK he trained at 10 OTU and was posted to 78 squadron on 3rd October 1941. He was attached to 1652 Conversion Unit to convert to fly the Halifax returning to 78 Squadron when this was complete. WO2 William Lunan was killed on 12th August 1942 when 78 Squadron Halifax W1061 was lost on Ops, the aircraft left Middleton St.George to bomb Mainz but was hit by flak over Antwerp. He is buried in Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium and was thirty two years old.
Halifax L9621 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 10 Squadron on 20th November 1941. It was then taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming four days later. It was transferred to 78 Squadron Conversion Flight on 30th March 1942 which was based at Croft. As a result of a minor mishap there on 21st April 1942 Cat.A(c) damage was the damage assessment that saw it repaired on site reasonably quickly. As the result of a more serious incident at Croft on 16th May 1942 Cat.E/FA damage was the assessment. It was struck off charge on 21st May 1942.
Walter Dench was born in Nottingham in 1921. after his time with 78 Squadron he was later posted to 40 Squadron to fly Wellingtons and lost on 6th July 1943. He was twenty two years old and is buried in Catania War Cemetery, Sicily. Prior to his death he had married a Darlington girl and through searching the internet it is believed that he was a cousin of the very talented British actress Dame Judi Dench.