Halifax BB189 at Riccall airfield.
During the 30th March 1943 the crew of this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft had carried out an air-sea firing exercise, on their return
to Riccall airfield at 13.40hrs the aircraft landed in a strong cross-wind and drifted. The end result was that the
undercarriage collapsed. The crew are believed to have escaped injury.
Pilot - F/O Gordon Arthur Sells RAFVR (129106).
Halifax BB189 was built to contract B.124357/40 by the London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden and was flown to 8 MU at Little Rissington on 10th January 1942. On 23rd March 1942 the aircraft was taken on charge by 1427 (Ferry Training) Flight at Thruxton. On 12th April 1942 it was flown to 8 MU at Little Rissington. On 27th August 1942 it was taken on charge by 76 Squadron at Middleton St. George where it carried the squadron code "MP-H". 76 Squadron moved to Linton on Ouse on 17th September 1942. On 15th October 1942 it was transferred to 158 Squadron at East Moor and on an unspecified date it was transferred to 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall. As a result of the crash on 30th March 1943 Cat.E/FA damage resulted and it was struck off charge on 12th April 1943 having clocked up 234 hours total flying time.
Gordon Sells was probably born in the Edmonton area of Middlesex in 1913 but prior to enlisting into the
RAFVR he had worked as a bank clerk in Leeds. His parents were also living in Halton, Yorkshire by 1943.
He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 2nd July 1942 and had already flown a number
of operational flights prior to this mishap at Riccall as a Wellington pilot although the squadron he flew
with was not known at the time of creating this webpage. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1943
and on 2nd January 1943 he was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs). It is likely that he had either
completed a first tour with Bomber Command at the time of this minor mishap at Riccall and was instructing
there or was in the process of converting to fly the four engine bomber from twin engined bombers at the
time but either way he was an experienced pilot at the time. He was awarded the DFC as Acting F/Lt for service
with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th August 1943 and was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 9th September 1943.
Having risen to B-Flight Commander he was killed on 22nd October 1943 when flying Halifax LW293 on Ops to
Kassel. Acting S/Ldr Sells was thirty years old and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery.