On 2nd December 1942 this 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft lost electrical power during a night take off from Marston Moor airfield at 19:30hrs, this power failure resulted in the cockpit lighting going out. Without being instructed to do so the trainee pilot aborted the take off, reduced power and aircraft ran off the runway and swung into an adjacent field. The aircraft was badly damaged almost certainly as a result of the undercarriage collapsing.
Pilot (instructor) - F/O Alfred Raymond Dawes RAFVR (109118).
Pilot (pupil) - F/Sgt Norman Garforth RAFVR (1112073).
Crew - Names unknown.
Halifax R9493 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 9th March 1942. As a result of minor flak damage on 27th April 1942 Cat.A/FB damage would have been the assessment and repairs were carried out on site at Leeming. The aircraft was returned to 10 Squadron on 27th May 1942. It was then transferred to 35 Conversion Flight on 3rd August 1942. It then moved to Marston Moor with them on 5th September 1942 and to Rufforth with them on 21st September 1942. The records for the aircraft then state it was allotted to 1651 Conversion Unit at Waterbeach but this cannot be correct and must be an error, it should read 1652 Conversion unit who were based at Marston Moor. It was serving with 1652 C.U on 2nd December 1942 when it crashed at Marston Moor. The damage was initially assessed as being Cat.B/FA but it was then further assessed as beyond repair so was Re.Cat.E. It was struck off charge on 3rd December 1942.
Alfred Dawes received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 25th September 1941. He was later promoted to F/O (war subs) on 25th September 1942 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 25th September 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th July 1943, the citation for which reads.."This officer has participated in numerous anti-submarine patrols in the Bay of Biscay, and also in bombing attacks on targets such as Berlin. Stettin, Essen and Duisburg. On several occasions his aircraft has been damaged and he has been forced to make crash landings. These harassing experiences have not in any way diminished his enthusiasm for operational flying." He reliquished his commission in the RAF on the grounds of being medically unfit for service on 2nd November 1945 but retained his rank, the reasons surrounding this are not yet known as it could have been the result of being injured in one of the incidents his DFC citation refers to.
Norman Garforth received a commission on 23rd December 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He flew a tour with 51 Squadron in 1942/1943. He was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 23rd June 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 23rd December 1944. He was posted to 578 Squadron on an unknown date. On 26th January 1945 he was the pilot of Halifax NA574 undertaking a fighter affiliation exercise when the aircraft suffered engine failure, after attempting to feather the engine which failed part of the port wing caught fire and then broke away. Only two of the crew were able to bale out before the aircraft crashed near West Haddlesey, near Selby, Yorkshire with the loss of five airmen. He was twenty three years old and is buried in Halifax Churchyard, Yorkshire.
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