Halifax DG234 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.

On the night of 19th / 20th November 1943 the crew of this aircraft took off from Rufforth airfield for a night training flight with 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit. Around midnight the aircraft was in the air around Holme on Spalding Moor with the weather poor. At 00.18hrs the aircraft was attempting to land at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield, but with heavy rain effecting visibility the crew missed the runways and landed on a dispersal area, the aircraft struck an unoccupied 76 Squadron aircraft, Halifax DK205 and both aircraft were badly damaged. The aircraft and crew were part of the training programme at 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit who had a bad month for loosing aircraft in November 1943.

Pilot - F/Sgt Frank Lovatt RAFVR (1504268).

Frank Lovatt was posted to 78 Squadron on completion of his training at 1658 HCU. On 27th March 1944 he was flying Halifax LK749 on Ops to Essen when the aircraft crashed in Belgium with the loss of the whole crew. Frank was twenty six years old and is buried with the rest of his crew in Hotton War Cemetery. His crew with him in March 1944 may well have been with him training at 1658 HCU four months earlier.

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