Halifax W7770 at Pocklington airfield.

During the early morning of 7th August 1942 this 405 Squadron Halifax was flown on an opperational flight to bomb Duisburg and took off from Pocklington at 00.40hrs. The crew released their bomb load from 16,000 feet ay 02.59hrs and returned to Pocklington. On landing at Pocklington airfield at 05.40hrs it swung off the runway and collided with two parked Wellingtons. Considerable damage was reported and one person sustained injuries. This was 405 Squadron's final operational flight from Pocklington airfield, they would moved to Topcliffe a few hours later. A member of the crew later recorded that the pilot suffered from double vision and had landed off the runway. One of the damaged Wellingtons was DV451 which was a 25 O.T.U. aircraft that had landed there on 4th August 1942 with a failed port engine. It was in the process of being made servicable there when it was damaged by W7770. The other Wellington was DV774 and this was a 26 O.T.U. aircraft but why this was at Pocklington is not yet known.

Pilot - F/Sgt William Bradley Blizard RCAF (R/77129).

Navigator - Sgt Kenneth Percy Cox Money RAFVR (1191005).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Kenneth Winston Elt RAFVR (906012).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Raymond Arthur Gardiner RCAF (J/15548).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James Joseph Maguire RAAF (3358).

Air Gunner - F/Sgt Gerald Augustine Andrew Witherick RAF (534756).

Bomb Aimer? - Sgt G E Mitchell.

Halifax W7770 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Pocklington on 5th July 1942 where it initially carried the squadron code "-Q". As a result of damage sustained at Pocklington on 7th August 1942 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site at Pocklington. As 405 Squadron moved to Topcliffe on the day of the mishap at Pocklington it took some time to return it to service so it's code of "-Q" was re-used by another aircraft in the time it was away. One its return to operational service it was flown over to Topcliffe to rejoin 405 Squadron on 9th September 1942 but was then re-coded "-E". It was then lost on Ops on 17th September 1942 when it failed to return from Ops to Essen, Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork. The aircraft was struck off charge on 1st October 1942.
Of those listed above, Blizard, Elt, Money, Mitchell and Witherick baled out of 405 Squadron Halifax W1145 over Lincolnshire on return from Ops on 7th June 1942 landing without injury.

Sgt Mitchell was flying in 405 Squadron Halifax BB212 when it was badly damaged on Ops on 11th September 1942 which then collided with Wellington BJ887 on the ground at Topcliffe on landin sadly killed one of his then crew. Two other members of his then crew had baled out after the pilot had initially instructed them to do so and both were killed on landing in Germany.

Money, Elt and Maguire were still flying with 405 Squadron on 11th March 1943 when Halifax DT745 was shot down on an operational flight to Stuttgart. The crew baled out and while Elt managed to evade capture both Money and McQuire were made PoWs. Kenneth Money had received a commission in September 1942. Kenneth Elt was later awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 7th January 1944.

Gerald Witherick had earlier served with 70 Squadron and 106 Squadron, he later served with 617 Squadron. He was awarded the DFM for service with 405 Squadron, Gazetted on 29th December 1942. He was also awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 20th February 1945, for service with 617 Squadron. His life is well documented on the internet.
Raymond Gardiner was awarded the DFC for service with 405 Squadron, Gazetted on 10th September 1943. On 23rd November 1943 he was killed flying in 405 Squadron Lancaster JA939 on Ops to Berlin.

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