Halifax DK149 at Rufforth airfield.
At 19.00hrs on 28th December 1943 this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was taxying on the perimeter track around Rufforth airfield prior to take off. The bomb aimer noticed an MT vehicle close to the aircraft on the starboard side and believed that a collision had occurred so the pilot stopped the aircraft. The flight engineer got out of the aircraft and checked the starboard wing tip where the collision was thought to have occurred. As he did not see any damage he got back inside and the aicraft took off. Once in the air excessive vibration was felt and on landing it was found that a starboard outer propeller blade was broken.
Pilot - Sgt C Walker RAF (573581).
Halifax DK149 was built to contract ACFT/891/SAS C4 by Fairey Aviation Ltd. at Stockport. It was flown new to Linton on Ouse airfield on 4th April 1943 and three days later was taken on charge by 76 Squadron who were based there. The squadron records make an error on 21st April 1943 in that they list one aircraft as flying Ops twice. DK149 is not listed but it's AM Form 78 states that it sustained Cat.Ac/FB damage on this date so it seems highly likely to have sustained damaged on Ops this night. A repair on site at Linton on Ouse began on 23rd April 1943 and it was returned to 76 Squadron on 2nd May 1943. 76 Squadron moved to Holme on Spalding Moor on 16th June 1943. On 26th September 1943 the aircraft transferred to 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit at Rufforth. On 28th December 1943 it collided with an M.T. vehicle while it was taxying around Rufforth airfield causing the starboard outer propeller to be damaged. Minor Cat.A/FA damage would have been the damage assessment which was not logged on the AM Form 78. A repair on site was carried out. It was used by 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit until a serious accident on 8th November 1944 when it was involved in a mid-air collision with Hurricane HW684 on a fighter affiliation exercise. The aircraft crashed at Warrendale Plantation, Londesborough. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 18th November 1944.