Unidentified Halifax, safe landing at Leconfield airfield.

On the night of 6th October 1943 the crew of this 466 Squadron aircraft took off from Leconfield airfield to undertake a searchlight co-operation exercise with searchlight batteries in the Hull area. During the course of the flight the pilot temporarily lost control so instructed his crew to abandon the aircraft, four of the crew managed to clear the aircraft before control was regained but two of those who baled out sustained injuries on making bad landings by parachute. The aircraft was landed safely at Leconfield without damage. I have created a webpage for this incident because two of the crew sustained injuries as a result, the aircraft remained undamaged. 466 Squadron were in the process of converting from Wellingtons to Halifaxes at the time of this incident.

Pilot - S/Ldr Alan Ower McCormack RAAF (Aus376).

Two crew - Names unknown. Slight injuries.

Rest of crew - Names unknown.

Allan McCormack was born on 19th March 1919 in Armadale, Australia and was the son of Bernard James and Clare Victoria (nee Jackson) McCormack, he enlisted for RAAF service way back on 9th October 1937 and had served in Australia certainly until marrying Nina Bourchier in February 1941. He later left for service in the UK. He was made a PoW flying with 466 Squadron on 28th January 1944 when Halifax HX294 was attacked and damaged by a night-fighter over the Baltic, all baled out. One of his crew was killed while the other five and he became PoWs. He remained in the RAAF post-WW2 and was awarded the AFC, Gazetted on 22nd November 1955, leaving the RAAF in 1957. He died in September 2002. The superb "www.airmen.dk" website gives further details on this loss in January 1944.

Back to monthly table.