Halifax R9370 at Rufforth airfield.
At 22.29hrs on 13th October 1942 this 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being flown on a solo night training flight, on landing at Rufforth in poor visibility the aircraft swung off the runway and collided with stationary Halifax W1014. Both aircraft were damaged. A misunderstanding between the pilot at the controls and another pilot in the cockpit as to the operating of the throttles and the flaps.
Pilot (at controls) - F/Sgt F W Wood RCAF (R/76545).
Pilot - Name unknown.
Crew - Names unknown.
F/Sgt Wood was posted in to 35 Conversion Flight on 28th September 1942 from 408 Squadron. 35 C.F. was absorbed by 1652 Conversion Unit on 7th October 1942. He returned to 408 Squadron on 21st October 1942 on completion of the conversion course at Rufforth.
Halifax R9370 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 7th November 1941 when the unit was converting to fly Halifax MkII's from Whitley MkV's. On 30th December 1941 the aircraft was flown on an operational flight to attack German battleships at Brest, the Halifax was attacked by number of enemy fighters and extensive damage was sustained to the Halifax. It's pilot managed to land at St.Eval on return to England with an injured rear gunner. The damage assessment made was only Cat.Ac/FB and a repair on site begun on 6th January 1942. The aircraft was not returned to 10 Squadron until 15th May 1942 which could suggest that the damage was upgraded to Cat.B (though purely as guess by me). By the time it was returned to 10 Squadron it had already been allotted to 35 Conversion Flight so was taken on charge by them at Linton on Ouse once ready. It was used on the Thousand Bomber raid on Bremen on 25th / 26th June 1942 which called for maximum effort by Bomber Command and the aircraft was flown by aircrew from 35 Squadron, not long after taking off the port inner engine failed so the crew jettisoned the bomb load in the North Sea and returned to base little over an hour after taking off. As a result of the tail wheel collapsing on 24th July 1942 minor Cat.A/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site and being deemed a servicable aircraft on 13th September 1942. This was the date it was flown to Marston Moor as the unit had moved there a week earlier. On 21st September 1942 it again moved with the unit to Rufforth.
On 7th October 1942 35 Conversion Flight was absorbed into 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor. On 13th October 1942 it was being flown on a solo night training flight when, on landing at Rufforth in poor visibility, the aircraft collided with Halifax W1014 and both aircraft were badly damaged. Again Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment although a repair in works was carried by Handley Page. Once repaired it passed to 18 MU on 4th February 1943 and was then taken on charge by 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall on 14th May 1943. It was still being used by 1658 H.C.U. on 23rd February 1944 when the undercarriage collapsed at Riccall. It sustained serious damage from which it was deemed not worthy of repairing. Cat.E/FA damage was recorded and it was struck off charge on 7th March 1944.