Halifax DG339 at Croft airfield.

On 9th September 1943 the crew of this aircraft were about to undertake a training flight as part of the training program at 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit. As they left the ground at Croft the starboard outer engine lost power owing to the propeller disintergrating. The pilot managed to keep some form of control, flew a tight circuit of the airfield and crash landed on the airfield at 22.27hrs.

Pilot - Sgt John Carlton Smith RAFVR (1392270).

John Carlton Smith served as a pilot with 433 Squadron from the weeks after this mishap at Croft until Summer 1944, and was awarded the DFC for this service.

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