Halifax BB222 at Riccall airfield.
At 20.00hrs on 28th February 1943 the undercarriage of this aircraft was retracted too soon after take off from Riccall airfield for a training flight with 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit, the undercarriage then jammed. On the return to base the pilot made a belly-landing and the aircraft was badly damaged. It was thought that the aircraft had been allowed to sink slightly after leaving the ground and that it had clipped the ground during the retraction of the undercarriage legs which had then jammed.
Instructor Pilot - F/O Walter Ronald Waite RAFVR (104508).
Trainee Pilot - Sgt Thomas Albert MacQuarie RAFVR (1331712).
Sgt MacQuarie completed his training and was posted to 102 Squadron, on the night of 3rd / 4th April 1943 he was flying Halifax W7935 which sustained flak damage on Ops to bomb Essen, he was able to make a safe return and land at Pocklington. He and his then crew were lost on Ops on 29th /30th July 1943 on Ops to bomb Hamburg and it was believed that their aircraft, Halifax W7883, was shot down by an enemy night-fighter. All are buried in Hamburg Cemetery. He was twenty two years old.
Walter Waite was born in July 1912 and was working in Bristol as an optician when he joined the RAFVR in 1940, he was known by his second name "Ronnie". He received a commission on 9th August 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation and after training he was posted to 76 Squadron. On 31st July/1st August 1942 P/O Waite was flying Halifax BB195 on Ops to Dusseldorf when the aircraft was attacked by enemy night fighters, one of his air gunners was killed in the attack but the other gunner fought off and shot down one of their attackers over Holland. P/O Waite was able to bring the aircraft back to England but the aircraft was badly damaged and the remaining crew baled out over Essex leaving the aircraft to crash near Chelmsford. The remaining members of his crew survived and he completed his Tour with 76 Squadron. He was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 9th August 1942, F/Lt (war subs) on 9th August 1943 and was Mentioned in Despatches in January 1944. After the war he later returned to being an optician. He later wrote his wartime autobiography "Death or Decoration". Ronnie Waite died in Trowbridge, Wiltshire in February 2012.
Halifax BB222 was built to contract B.124357/40 by the London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden. It was taken on charge by 76 Conversion Flight at Middleton St.George on 4th September 1942 and arrived there on 10th September 1942. It then moved to Riccall a couple of days later when the unit moved there, the move was complete on 16th September 1942. The aircraft and 76 C.F. were was then absorbed into 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit on 7th October 1942. As a result of the damage sustained on 28th February 1943 Cat.E1/FA damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on 16th March 1943.