During the afternoon of 14th November 1942 this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being flown on what appears to have been a basic circuits and landing exercise at Melbourne airfield with an instructor and at least three trainee pilots on board. Seventy five minutes into the exercise and at 16.00hrs while in the process of taking off from Melbourne the port outer propeller flew off followed by the reduction gear and most of the engine and its cowling. The pilot managed to get the aircraft into the air but then immediately force landed straight ahead in a field just beyond the airfield boundary with the wheels down. The undercarriage collapsed before it could be brought to a halt. The aircraft was badly damaged and written off as a result of the damage.
Pilot (Instructor) - Acting S/Ldr Edmund Keith Creswell DFC RAFVR (107461).
Trainee Pilot - Sgt Paul Windermere Wilson Brunton RNZAF (NZ.413541).
Trainee Pilot - Sgt John Deryk Illingworth RAFVR (1144450).
Trainee Pilot - Sgt Edward Fred Hutchinson Haly RAFVR (1318907).
"This officer has shown the utmost tenacity and determination in reaching his objectives, which have been most of the well known targets in Germany, including Berlin. He has also bombed Turin successfully On two occasions, by his skilful airmanship he has brought home, and successfully landed, a badly damaged aircraft."
In early 1943 he was posted to 35 Squadron PFF and was Mentioned in Despatches on 2nd June 1943 and later awarded the DSO, Gazetted on 27th July 1943, the citation for the latter reads.. "This officer has a fine record of achievement, having undertaken a large number of sorties, involving attacks on heavily defended areas in the Ruhr, on ports both in enemy and enemy occupied territory, and on far distant targets such as Turin and Spezia in Italy. He has accomplished his tasks with great skill, while his fearlessness and tenacity have inspired his crew with great confidence. His successes have been worthily earned."
He continued his operational flying rising to Master Bomber with the PFF and was awarded the Bar to the DSO for service with 35 Squadron, Gazetted on 29th September 1944 while in the rank of Acting S/Ldr, the citation reads.. "This officer has completed a very large number of sorties against a wide range of targets, many of them far into enemy territory. Recently he has participated in numerous attacks on enemy railways sidings. He has spent protracted periods over the target and his example of skill, courage and determination has won great praise." After his time with 35 Squadron he was possibly posted to one of the training units in Worcestershire as in 1945 he married in the Evesham area which would fit for commanding one of the OTU training units in the area (pure speculation however). Nothing more about him is known other than he was clearly one of the finest bomber pilots to have passed through Yorkshire during the War. It is believed that he died in February 1999.
Halifax R9376 is pictured above. It was built to contract B.692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 10 Squadron on 21st November 1941. The aircraft was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 25th November 1941. As a result of an accident at Skipton on Swale on 13th December 1941 Cat.A/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site, the repair was begun on 17th December 1941 and it was complete by 4th January 1942. On 4th January 1942 on paper the aircraft was allocated to 138 Squadron at Stradishall but this move cannot have taken place as 138 Squadron never operated Halifax MkII's. It's AM Form 78 states that it was transferred back to 10 Squadron on 3rd April 1942 though also states that it was transferred to 10 Conversion Flight on the same date and may have been entered twice to reflect that it was still with 10 Squadron on that date. On 29th June 1942 it suffered Cat.A/FA damage at Skipton on Swale when it ran into a concrete slab hidden by long grass while landing. Again it was repaired on site with the repair being started on 30th June 1942. It was returned to 10 Conversion Flight on 4th August 1942 and on 26th August 1942 10 Conversion Flight moved from Leeming to Melbourne. On 7th October 1942 all of 10 Conversion Flight aircraft were absorbed into the newly formed 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit but this aircraft continued to operate from Melbourne specifically training 10 Squadron crews. On 14th November 1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was the assessment following the crash at Melbourne. It was struck off charge when the paperwork went through on 21st November 1942.
Paul Brunton was later posted to 10 Squadron early in 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. The citation reads.."Pilot Officer Brunton, now on instructional duties, has flown a large number of operational sorties. Although, on several occasions, his, aircraft has been riddled by anti aircraft fire and he has several encounters with enemy aircraft, Pilot Officer Bruntons’ enthusiasm for operational flying remains unabated. Possessing high courage, skill and initiative, he invariably displays a fine fighting spirit." He died in New Zealand in November 2013.
Edward Haly had flown his first operational flight with 10 Squadron as a second pilot in Halifax BB220 on 18th November 1942 with S/Ldr Barratt and crew while training and two more as second pilot on 10 Squadron Ops in November 1942. His name does not appear in 10 Squadron's operation record book in December 1942. He was posted from 1658 HCU to 51 Squadron on 4th January 1943 and would have flown his first Op as captain with 51 Squadron on 18th February 1943 in W7818 had it not crashed soon after taking off from Snaith on 18th February 1943. His next was a successful mine laying trip in W7772 on 26th February 1943. He receieved a commission on 21st March 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He was later awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. He was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 21st September 1943. On 17th September 1944 he was flying in Halifax BB360 and was probably instructing with 1652 HCU rather than training. BB360 crashed near Angram, York on a training flight and all nine airmen on board were killed. He was twenty three years old and is buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. CWGC list him as being the son of John and Edith Marie Haly and the husband of Daphne Pauline Haly, of Wokingham, Berkshire. But with him being originally from British Guiana.
Sgt Illingworth first appears in 10 Squadron's ORB when he was posted in to 10 Squadron from 10 Conversion Flight on 28th November 1942 but
had flown his first operational flight with 10 Squadron as second pilot in Halifax DT500 on 18th November 1942 with Sgt Allan and crew while training. He
flew operationally in January 1943 with 10 Squadron. On 14th February 1943 he was flying in Halifax DT788 which was damaged on Ops to Cologne, one member of his crew was killed but he and the other six baled out. He became a PoW.
Edmuund Creswell was born on 12th November 1919 in Plymouth, Devon and was the son of Rear Admiral George Hector Creswell DSO, DSC, ADC Rtd. His father had served in WW1 and in throughout the period between the Wars, he was awarded the DSC in April 1919, the DSO in December 1939, MiD in November 1942 and the CB in January 1943. Edmund Creswell attended the Imperial Service College from 1933 to 1938. He received a commission in the RAF to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 10th July 1941 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 10th July 1942 and later to F/Lt (war subs) on 31st January 1943. He was awarded the DFC while he was serving with 158 Conversion Flight, on 1st November 1942 158 Conversion Flight became 1658 HCU and I strongly believe that he became one of their first instructors. His DFC was Gazetted on 6th November 1942 but his DFC must have been awarded for service with an operational squadron, probably with 158 Squadron. The citation for his DFC reads..