On 29th December 1942 this 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being test flown so that new pattern exhaust shrouds fitted to one of the engines could be tested and that handling, climbing and the performance could be checked. While on the final approach to land at Marston moor the starboard outer engine failed and the aircraft would not maintain height on the remaining three engines with the flaps down, when the throttle controls were fully opened the aircraft swung away from the airfield. At 15.30hrs the pilot force landed in a field just off the airfield near Tockwith but it then caught fire and three of the crew sustained injuries. Snow may have been falling at the time of the incident.
Pilot - Acting W/Co Walter Stanley Hillary DFC DFM RAF (45122).
Engineering Officer - F/Lt Sydney Breedon Bailey RAF (78157).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John James Lomas RAFVR (1035433). Injured.
Navigator - F/O Ernest Richard Buckwell RAF (46125).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Acting F/Lt James William Hannant DFC RAFVR (116552). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt George Harold Rogers RAFVR (1253525).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Joseph Dowie RAFVR (1066563).
Halifax W7816 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was taken on charge as new on 22nd August 1942 by 1652 Conversion Unit at Marston Moor and this unit was re-designated as 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit on 7th October 1942. As a result of the crash on 29th December 1942 Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on the same date.
James Hannant received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 5th January 1942. He received the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th April 1942 the citation reads..
"This officer joined the squadron as an N.C.O.in September 1940 and for nearly a year was almost continually employed on operational flying. He quickly showed himself
to be a first-class wireless operator. He has performed valuable work in training new crews and, although since June his energies have been mainly concentrated
on this, his keenness has secured him a place on a crew for two further operations. During his operational missions he has participated in attacks on many important
enemy targets including Berlin, Turin, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel and Brest." He was promoted to F/O on probation on 1st October 1942 and later to F/Lt on 5th January 1944.
Post-war he remained in the RAF transferring to the Physical Fitness Branch in 1947. He left the RAF on the grounds of medical unfitness on 26th April 1969.
I thank Walter Hillary's son for contacting me in March 2014 and for adding to an earlier biog I have created surrounding his father and for kindly supplying a
copy of the his logbook entry for this incident. Walter Hillary was born in Lambeth, London in 1917 and had served with 10 Squadron in the early months of the War.
By the time this incident near Marston Moor occurred he had already survived a number of flying accidents in Yorkshire, these included the crashes of Whitley K9020
at Dishforth on 5th January 1940 and Whitley K9022 also at Dishforth on 3rd March 1940 and Halifax L9496 at Linton on Ouse on 23rd March 1941. For his service with
10 Squadron he was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 30th July 1940. He was later posted to 35 Squadron and then to 76 Squadron. Having received a commission on 2nd
January 1941 (with seniority of 4th October 1940) to the rank of P/O on probation and while in the rank of Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DFC for service with 76
Squadron, Gazetted on 30th January 1942, the citation reads.. "Acting S/Ldr Hillary is a captain of aircraft and a flight commander of outstanding courage and
ability. He has been operating continuously since war began, and has never shown signs of tiredness or waning enthusiasm. He is always eager for any job he undertakes,
and never leaves it until it is successfully completed. When returning from Hanover on one occasion, the port inner engine of S/Ldr Hillary's aircraft failed completely
when over the Dutch coast. He remained unperturbed, set course for the Norfolk coast, and landed safely on three engines."
On 29th December 1941 he was involved in a minor flying accident in Oxford "8920" (possibly P8920) when the aircraft suffered an engine failure while he was attempting to overshoot and take off again. P8920 was with the Central Flying School on this date but the location of this mishap is not yet known. He was posted to 1652 C.U. at Marston Moor to serve as an instructor and flew in the third "Thousand Bomber" raid on 25th June 1942 in Halifax R9424. He was promoted to F/O on an unknown date, to F/Lt (war subs) on 15th December 1941 and to S/Ldr (war subs) on 3rd August 1942. He
resigned from the RAF as S/Ldr, retaining his rank of W/Co, on 11th August 1946. Post-war he became a civilian pilot first flying around the Scotish islands before taking
up positions with Aer Lingus, East African Airways and in 1952 he joined Sabena flying in the Congo. He worked for Air Congo and returned to Sabena flying Dakotas around
in the Libyan oilfields. He died in December 1995 in Denmark and is buried in Hundested, Denmark. His family also have a French Croix d'honneur but the background behind
the award of this is not yet known though it could relate to some flying fighter aircraft in North Africa. I thank Mr Nigel Hillary for his contact.
F/Lt Bailey also flew the third thousand bomber raid on 25th June 1942 in Halifax L9511 and he flew on the 4th raid on 31st July 1942 in Halifax V9994.
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