Halifax DG304 near Spaldington.
During the afternoon of 9th April 1943 this aircraft was being flown on a training flight, to enable the trainee pilot to familiarise on the Halifax type and on board was also an instructor. The aircraft took off at 15.25hrs but where from is questionable depending on the unit operating the aircraft. During the flight the aircraft would not maintain height so it was force landed in a field at Mount Pleasant Farm, Spaldington at 15.50hrs. I am firmly in the believe that the aircraft belonged to 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit based at Blyton. The AM Form 1180 for this incident states the aircraft to have been one from "460 Squadron / RAF Blyton". In April 1943 460 Squadron were based at Breighton and not Blyton. If it was based at Blyton then 1662 H.C.U. were based there and could have been transferred to 1662 H.C.U. when they began operating Halifaxes a few weeks before this incident. Had it been a 460 Squadron aircraft but by April 1943 they were flying Lancasters why would they require a pilot to familiarise on the Halifax type? One of DG304's pilots, P/O McKinnon, had been a 460 Squadron pilot and appears to have flown his last sortie of his Tour on 22nd March 1943. Sgt Winchester, who is also give as being on board DG304 was posted to 103 Squadron from 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit on 22nd April 1943 which I think backs up the aircraft being used by 1662 H.C.U. at the time of the incident at Spaldington.
Pilot (instructor) - P/O Allan Francis McKinnon RAAF (407531)
Pilot (pupil) - Sgt Ronald Gordon Winchester RAFVR (1333599).
Halifax DG304 was built to contract ACFT/637/C4/C by Rootes Securities Ltd. at Speke and was flown to 45 M.U. at Kinloss on 30th December 1943. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that this Halifax was taken on charge as new by 460 Squadron but does not give a date. In October 1942 460 Squadron, who had been operating Wellingtons, began to convert to fly four engined bombers and while they received a small number of Halifaxes they then settled on Lancasters. By January 1943 it seems unlikely that they received any brand new Halifaxes. As the aircraft on the day of the accident was flying from Blyton one assumes it was on charge with 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit soon after they formed in February 1943 when they started receiving Halifaxes a few weeks later. The date it arrived at 1662 H.C.U. is not logged on the aircraft's AM Form 78. The aircraft received Cat.B/FA damage as a result of the incident near Spaldington on 9th April 1943 and was then transported by road to YARD at York for a repair in works. It was awaiting collection on 7th August 1943. Two days later it was flown to 44 M.U. at Edzell. On 7th October 1943 it was taken on charge by 518 Squadron at Tiree where it carried the squadron code "Y3-B". On 7th January 1944 it received a repair on site by 60 MU for unspecified reasons. It was returned to 518 Squadron on 28th January 1944. On 14th February 1944 it was flown to 3502 Servicing Unit at Gosport for modifications required by Meteorlogical flights. On 25th February 1944 it was returned to 518 Squadron charge. On 6th May 1944 it was flown to 3502 S.U. at Gosport for further modifications. On 15th May 1944 it was returned to 518 Squadron charge. On 9th September 1944 it was transferred to 1674 Heavy Conversion Unit at Aldergrove. On 19th April 1945 a propeller blade disintergrated in flight and parts of it damaged the fuselage. It initially received a damage assessment of Cat.Ac/FA. A repair on site was begun on 23rd April 1945 by Short and Harland from Belfast but the damage must have been more severe than first thought as on 28th May 1945 it was Re-Cat.E. It remained at Aldergrove until being struck off charge on 30th August 1945.