Wellington HE181 at Leconfield airfield.
On 21st March 1943 this 196 Squadron aircraft swung on take off at Leconfield airfield at 01.45hrs for a non-operational flight, hit heap of gravel and the undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft was badly damaged and later written off. It is believed that the flight about to be undertaken was a training flight.
Wellington HE181 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in November 1942. The aircraft was taken on charge by 196 Squadron at Driffield on 7th December 1942. 196 Squadron moved to Leconfield on 22nd December 1942. As a result of the damage sustained at Leconfield on 21st March 1943 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was written off. It was struck off charge on 28th March 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Jack Greenfield RAFVR (1315254).
Crew - Names unknown.
F/Sgt Greenfield was posted as missing on 13th May 1943 while flying Ops to Duisburg in Wellington HE398, he was just twenty years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was the eldest son of Ernest and Florence Greenfield; and the husband of Eunice Greenfield, later of Carharrack, Cornwall.
Sgt Greenfield appears to have been posted to 196 Squadron around the start of 1943. He flew his first two operational flights as a second Dickie pilot with 460 Squadron, his first being on 21st January 1943 with Sgt King and his crew in Wellington HE164 to bomb Lorient and his second on 26th January 1943 with Sgt Tozer and his crew in Wellington HE150 to lay mines. Around these dates many 196 Squadron pilots flew as second pilots with 460 Squadron captains and their crews.