Halifax W1003 at East Moor airfield.
On the 26th August 1942 this 158 Conversion Flight Halifax was flown on a dual control training exercise. At 16.35hrs a landing was made at East Moor when the tail wheel developed a shimmy and then broke off. An investigation found that a crack had occurred previously and had gone un-noticed.
Pilot - P/O Julian William Noel Balley RAFVR (122321).
Pilot - Sgt Jackson
Halifax W1003 was built to contract B982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 5th January 1942. It appears to have gone to be used by their 10 Conversion Flight although the AM Form 78 does not reflect this. As a result of minor damage at Leeming on 10th April 1942 Cat.A/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site. The aircraft was returned to 10 Squadron (10 C.F.?) on 14th June 1942. It does not appear to have ever been flown operationally by 10 Squadron which lends weight to it being a conversion flight aircraft. It was transferred to 158 Conversion Flight on 15th August 1942, initially based at East Moor. There it was damaged on 26th August 1942 when the tail wheel unit broke on landing. Minor Cat.A/FA damage was again the damage assessment and it was repaired on site by a team from Handley Page. It was returned to 158 Conversion Flight on 9th September 1942 and they took the aircraft with them when they moved to Rufforth on 25th September 1942. On 1st November 1942 158 C.F. was absorbed into 1658 Conversion Flight at Riccall but because of the need for a greater training output all former 158 Squadron C.F. Halifaxes were detached to Melbourne airfield where 1658 C.F. had a detachment. In January 1943 the aircraft moved to the home airfield of Riccall and it remained there until being struck off charge on 18th March 1944 three days after an inspection that deemed it to be a worn out aircraft.