Halifax W7666 at Leeming airfield.
During the morning of 24th May 1942 the crew on board this 10 Squadron aircraft were detailed to give this aircraft an airtest. The aircraft took off from Leeming airfield and during the flight the crew decided to feather the port outer engine to undertake some three engined flying. Immediately after the engine was feathered it was noticed that oil was pouring from it so the flight engineer attempted to unfeather it. The engine failed to respond. On the approach to land the engine then unfeathered itself but the feathering motor had no effect so the propeller had to left to windmill. As the aircraft neared a landing at Leeming it began to swing to port toward the hanger so at 11.40hrs the pilot reduced power to the other three engines. As a result the aircraft undershot the landing and hit a mound of earth on the edge of the airfield. The aircraft was badly damaged and all of those on board were slightly injured.
Pilot - P/O Henry Garfield Clothier RNZAF (NZ.404442).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt John Stanley Clapham RAFVR (935675).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Terence Albert George Morris RAFVR (915537).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Warwick Robert Forbes RAF (567896).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Simpson RAFVR (1310209).
Passenger (Instrument Repairer) - LAC Donald Henry Collin Sillers RAFVR (1504679).
Henry Clothier flew his last operational flight with 10 Squadron on 26th April 1942 with a different crew to that listed above. His next operational flight was on 2nd June 1942 with many of those listed above. Forbes was made a POW but sadly Clothier, Clapham, Morris and Simpson were killed when Halifax W1143 crashed in Holland on 2nd June 1942. Clothier is buried in Rotterdam while the others have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The aircraft was technically on charge with 78 Squadron but it's crew were on attachment from 10 Squadron at the time.
Halifax W7666 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was awaiting collection on 15th April 1942. It was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 22nd April 1942. It sustained minor flak damage on 4th May 1942 that saw Cat.A/FB be the damage assessment and it was repaired on site at Leeming. As a result of a landing mishap at Leeming on 24th May 1942 the damage was assessed and it was deemed not worth repairing, Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 28th May 1942.
