Halifax BB307 at Rufforth airfield.
At 22.35hrs on 26th February 1943 this 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft struck Halifax BB206 while the latter was having it's tyres checked at Rufforth airfield. The pilot of BB307 had mistaken the rear light on BB206 for a white airfield light. BB206 was badly damaged and was not repaired although the unit record book states both aircraft were initially assessed as having sustained minor Cat.A damage. Two pilots are listed as being in the Halifax BB206 though it would seem more likely that the aircrew were in Halifax BB307 at the time.
Pilot - Sgt Kenneth Alan Toon RNZAF (NZ.415206).
Pilot - Sgt Norman Reginald Holledge RAFVR (1331061).
Kenneth Toon was the son of John Sherard and Louisa Toon (nee Cockles), of Christchurch, New Zealand. He begun his training in the UK in 1942 and on 30th June 1942 he begun training with 2(P)AFU and on 15th July 1942 began training with 6 (P)AFU but was "slightly injured on active service" on 29th August 1942 possibly as a result of a flying accident. He was posted to 15 OTU on 8th September 1942 and later to 1652 HCU on 20th January 1943. This incident detailed above occured towards the end of his HCU training and afew days later he was posted to 78 Squadron. He flew his first operational flight as a second "dickie" pilot was on 5th March 1943 with Sgt Riach to Essen and he then flew a second "dickie" as second pilot on 9th March 1943 to Munich. On 11th March 1943 he flew his first operational flight as captain to Stuttgart. On 26th March 1943 they flew to Duisburg and on 27th March 1943 to Berlin. On 29th March 1943 he was just setting out for Ops to Berlin when the aircraft developed engine trouble, he and his crew baled out and the aircraft crashed near North Grimston, afew miles south east of Malton. This incident is detailed on this website.
On 14th July 1943, the now Warrant Officer Toon was the pilot of Halifax JD108 when it was shot down by a night-fighter over Belgium. W/O Toon died in the incident and was twenty one years old. He is buried in Gosselies Communal Cemetery, Belgium. The photograph of W/O Toon's grave was found on Facebook. Kenneth Toon was married by the time he arrived in the UK, his wife Margaret lived at Osgoode Station, in Ontario, Canada. It is likely that he had undertaken his basic pilot training in Canada where he had met her.
Halifax BB307 was built to contract B.124357/40 by the London Passenger Transport Board Ltd, at Leavesden. It was taken on charge as new by 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 3rd February 1943. As a result of the damage sustained at Rufforth on 26th February 1943 minor Cat.Ac/FA damage was the assessment. It was repaired on site and returned to use by 1652 H.C.U. on 26th March 1943. It crashed at Marston Moor on 10th January 1944 that initially saw Cat.Ac/FA damage be the damage assessment. Once a repair was begun it was found to be more seriously damaged than first thought. On 28th February 1944 it was Re-Cat.E and was struck off charge the following day.
Norman Holledge was the son of Thomas and Ethel Holledge and was married to Gertrude Holledge of Hornchurch. Norman Holledge's birth was registered in Camberwell, London in 1921 and he married in the Romford area of Essex in 1942. He completed his training and was posted to 77 Squadron. A Combat Report in the National Archives dated 12th June 1943 gives information on combat on that date on Ops but has yet to be viewed. On 19th June 1943 he was to undertake an operational flight to France in Halifax JB863 when the aircraft crashed near Heslington, York and all on board were killed. He was twenty two years old and is buried in Hornchurch Cemetery, Essex.