Halifax DG246 at Rufforth airfield.
During the afternoon of 8th September 1943 this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was flown on a training flight. While in the air the crew shut down the port outer engine believing there was a problem with it as the oil pressure gauge needle dropped. On landing at Rufforth airfield at 17.00hrs the crew attempted to fly an overshot but it appears that they had lowered the flaps in preparation for landing but then forgot to raise them again. The aircraft landed on the airfield with the wheels up.
Pilot - F/O Porokuru Patapu "John" Pohe RNZAF (NZ.402894).
Porokuru "John" Pohe was later posted to 51 Squadron. His life and fate is very well recorded and I would not simply wish to copy these other works as I have nothing new to add. He was soon posted to 51 Squadron to fly what appears to have been a second tour with 51 Squadron. On 22nd September 1943 he was flying Halifax JN901 on Ops to Hannover when the aircraft was badly damaged over the target. He managed to fly the aircraft back to the English Channel but was eventually forced to ditch. All the crew got into the dinghies and were eventually picked up by a German boat to become PoWs. Pohe was one sent to Stalag Luft III made infamous for the Great Escape. Pohe worked as a tunneler in the tunnel named "Dick" and was one of the 76 men who escaped on 24th / 25th March 1944. He was captured a few days later and was taken to Gorlitz prison that was under Gestapo control. He was murdered by the Gestapo on 31st March 1944. His cremation urn was originally buried at Sagan but his ashes are now buried in Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland. Once the story became public knowledge in May 1944 he was named in British and Commonwealth newspapers. He was then awarded a Mention in Despatches for his conspicuous bravery as a prisoner and escaper on 8th June 1944.