Halifax R9388 at East Moor airfield.
On 4th August 1942 this 158 Conversion Flight Halifax being flown on a basic circuits and landings exercise. On landing at East Moor airfield at 17.48hrs the pilot was forced to take action to avoid an airmen standing too close to the edge of the runway. The swing resulted in the port undercarriage collapsing, the starboard tyre bursting and damage being sustained.
Pilot - Sgt Leslie John William Beckman RAFVR (1382013).
Pilot - Sgt Brian Roy Quinlan RNZAF (NZ.404408).
Probable crew:
Flight Engineer - Sgt Fred William Brogden RAFVR (967977).
Navigator - P/O John Scott Smyth RAFVR (118650).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Stanley Cooper RAF (517107).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Stanley George Walton RAFVR (1380196).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt John William Murphy RNZAF (NZ.403585).
Air Gunner - Sgt Lawrence Byrne RAFVR (1116631).
Leslie Beckman and his crew were sadly killed just over a month after this incident when Halifax W1222 crashed in Germany on 16th / 17th September 1942. All are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
Halifax R9388 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was initially delivered to 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse but was immediately transferred to 102 Squadron on Dalton on 24th Dceember 1941. On 17th February 1942 it passed to 102 Conversion Flight on 17th February 1942 but returned to 102 Squadron on 24th February 1942. On 21st April 1942 it was flown to 45 MU for unspecified reasons. On 14th June 1942 it was taken on charge by 158 Conversion Flight at East Moor on 14th June 1942. It suffered Cat.Ac/FA damage on 24th August 1942 at East Moor though this damage may have been upgraded to Cat.B/FA. The aircraft's AM Form 78 does not state that a repair in a works factory occurred though it is possible that this happened as it doesn't appear to have flown with 158 Conversion Flight again. The AM Form 78 suggests that once it was servicable it passed to 1658 Conversion unit at Riccall on 31st October 1942. On 2nd January 1943 it crashed at Cawood and sadly three airmen were killed. The damage was assessed as Cat.E2/FA and it was struck off charge on the same date.