At 16.30hrs on 15th June 1942 this 10 Conversion Flight aircraft was taking off from Skipton on Swale landing ground and had reached 90 mph when the port outer engine failed, this caused a swing to develop. The pilot attempted to stop the aircraft but on wet grass the aircraft the brakes had little effect. He then deliberately swung the aircraft to avoid over-running into the River Swale but in doing so the aircraft ran over a ditch causing the undercarriage to collapse. One airman sustained injuries. Although based at Leeming airfield 10 Conversion Flight used the area of what eventually became Skipton on Swale airfield as a landing ground.
Pilot (Pupil) - Sgt Rauch RAF (Can.60376). (Sgt J S Rauch)
Flight Engineer - Sgt Charles Quine RAF (635070).
Air Gunner - AC1 Craig RAFVR (1557061?).
Pilot (Instructor) - F/Sgt Clifford John Farmery DFM RAF (748296). Injured.
Sgt J S Rauch appears to have been Canadian, he was posted out of 10 Squadron not long after this incident. The only other reference to anyone with the same initials I have found is in the Middleton St.George airfield record book from 8th April 1944 that listed an officer with the same initials as being posted to 126 Wing HQ for AASD duties. At that date his service number is C/18173 which is the service number for a pre-war serving Canadian.
Charles Quine would later be posted to 10 Squadron and survived the crash of Halifax W7867 at Mebourne on 7th November 1942. He was awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 18th May 1943. He was later posted to 77 Squadron to fly a second Tour. On the night of 20th / 21st December 1943 he was flying in Halifax LL121 on Ops to Frankfurt when the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter. Two of the crew died but he and five other survived but became PoWs.
Halifax V9988 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection on 20th November 1941. It was allotted to 45 MU on 26th November 1941 and was received by 45 MU on 8th December 1941. The aircraft was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 6th January 1942. It appears to have been used by them in a training role for their aircrew as it was never used operationally in 1942. It was probably one of the aircraft used by 10 Squadron's training unit; 10 Conversion Flight although no information of when this transfer happened is recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78. As a result of minor damage on 15th June 1942 Cat.Ac/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site (the AM Form 78 gives the date of 18th June 1942 which is possibly when the repair was started). Once repaired it was returned to 10 Conversion Flight on 13th July 1942 and the AM Form 78 now reflects the transfer. 10 Conversion Flight moved to Melbourne on 26th August 1942. On 17th October 1942 10 C.F. was disbanded and aircraft would have been transferred to 1658 Conversion Unit at Riccall but the AM Form 78 gives the date of 31st December 1942. It was destroyed on 26th February 1943 when it crashed near Kelfield, Selby with three of it's then crew being killed. Cat.E damage was recorded and the aircraft was struck off charge on 12th March 1943.
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