During the morning of 27th February 1943 this 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was flown on a training flight lasting two hours. On landing at 12.00hrs at Lindholme the aircraft landed with drift, which turned into a swung and during which the undercarriage collapsed.
Pilot - P/O H F Swar RCAF (J/16328).
Halifax BB254 was built to contract B.124357/40 by the London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden. It was initially received by 18 MU on 6th November 1942 and was then taken on charge by 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit at Lindholme on 21st December 1942. On 17th January 1943 it received a Cat.Ac/FA damage when it taxied into an excavator. It was repaired on site by 60 MU and returned to 1656 HCU on 12th February 1943. On 27th February 1943 the undercarriage collapsed at Lindholme that saw a damage assessment of Cat.Ac/FA made. A repair on site was carried out Handley Page and it was returned to 1656 HCU on 22nd May 1943. It was slightly damaged on 7th February 1944 in a landing accident at Lindholme which saw a Cat.Ac/FA damage assessment. Then on 23rd August 1944 which was probably a failed inspection rather than a flying accident, the unit records state it required a service beyond unit capacity. On 20th November 1944 it crashed at Dunscroft with much more serious results. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 24th November 1944.
In his Bomber Command losses book William Chorley lists this aircraft as being Halifax BB258 and it having sustained enough damage to write it off. Strangely neither is correct. BB258 was with 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit in February 1943 but was certainly not damaged to any great degree during it's service life and was definitely not written off in a crash at all. After 1656 HCU it passed to 1667 HCU and 12 AGS before being converted into an instructional airframeg in 1944.
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