Halifax DT507 at Topcliffe airfield.
During the morning of 29th July 1943 this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being used for a basic circuits and landings exercise and initially took off at 11.05hrs from Topcliffe. At 11.25hrs the aircraft swung on landing and the aircraft came to rest with the undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft was not repaired.
Pilot - P/O Lionel John Haynes RAFVR (146865).
Pilot (Pupil) - P/O Harold Thomas Brown RCAF (J/13055).
Halifax DT507 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection on 11th September 1942. The following day it was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Beaulieu within Coastal Command. On 3rd March 1943 405 Squadron moved to Leeming within Bomber Command. As a result of battle damage sustained on 12th March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. On 26th / 27th March 1943 it received Cat.A/FB damage as a result of battle damage on Ops. On 14th April 1943 it received Cat.Ac/FB damage assessment. This appears to have been because the aircraft returned early from Ops the previous night with an unservicable oxygen system to the rear turret and a number of hung-up incendiary bombs. The squadron records do not state any further damage happened. The aircraft was repaired on site and returned to the 405 Squadron on 18th May 1943 but were now based at Gransden Lodge. It was later allocated to and taken on charge by 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe before the end of July 1943 but the date for this transfer is not known. It was replaced as LQ-M at 405 Squadron by Halifax HR864 on 25th June 1943 so DT507 may have left for 1659 H.C.U. soon after. On 29th July 1943 the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Topcliffe, the damage was initially assessed as Cat.Ac/FA but on 11th August 1943, during the repair, it was re-assessed and Re-Cat.E. It was then struck off charge on that date.
Lionel Haynes was awarded the DFC for service with 432 Squadron, Gazetted on 26th October 1943. His DFC recommendation (as researched by Hugh Halliday) details an incident on 22nd September 1943 when he was the pilot of a Wellington being damaged on Ops.
Harold Brown was posted to 419 Squadron soon after this incident. He was awarded the DFC for service with them.