Halifax DK227 at Leeming airfield.
During the afternoon of 8th August 1943 this 427 Squadron aircraft was flown on a night flying test lasting twenty minutes. On landing at Leeming at 16.05hrs the aircraft swung off the runway and eventually the undercarriage collapsed.
Pilot - P/O Elwyn Williams RAFVR (143223).
William Chorley's generally superb Bomber Command losses book appears to make an error through copying the squadron records. Both state that DK227 was badly damaged on Ops on 17th / 18th August 1943 and landed at Mildenhall on return. I would respectfully state that this is not the case. Following the damage sustained on 8th August 1943 DK227 appears to have sustained fairly serious damage that wrote it off with Cat.E damage and with it being struck off charge on 19th August 1943. I believe that the squadron records have listed DK227 in error on 17th / 18th August 1943 and Mr Chorley has incorrectly believed it to be correct. Unfortunately I am not able to offer the correct aircraft identity for this later incident as yet.