Halifax EB183 at Rufforth airfield.

On the evening of 26th November 1943 the crew of this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft were in the process of taking off from Rufforth airfield at 20.00hrs to undertake a training flight but as the aircraft picked up speed on the runway a swing developed, it left the runway, crossed the grass and struck a pile of rubble left during construction work on another runway. This then removed the Halifax's undercarriage. Two members of the crew sustained minor injuries.

Pilot - Sgt Colin Walker RAF (573551). Injured.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Frederick Hughes RAFVR (1672885).

Navigator - Sgt John Sutherland RCAF (R/60829).

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Aleck Abrahams RAFVR (928572).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner? -Sgt Peter Carmino Gizzi RAFVR (1434388).

Air Gunner? - Sgt Kenneth Charles Southward RAFVR (2209471).

Air Gunner? - Sgt George Armstrong Shield RAFVR (997852). Injured.

This crew were later posted to 76 Squadron on 7th January 1944 and were killed on Ops to Magdeburg on 22nd January 1944 while flying Halifax LL185. Five members of the crew have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Aleck Abrahams is buried in Texel (Den Burg) Cemetery, Holland while Kenneth Hughes is buried in Kamperland General Cemetery, Holland

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