Halifax HR748 mid air collision, landed safely at Linton on Ouse.
At around mid-day on 3rd April 1943 a number of 76 Squadron Halifaxes were being given air tests prior to that evening's operational order. At 12.05hrs Halifax HR748 and (believed to have been) Halifax W1236 were flying in formation when a minor mid-air collision took place when one of the aircraft crossed from port to starboard across the other. HR748 suffered very minor damage and both aircraft landed safely at Linton on Ouse. Both took part in the operational task that night.
Pilot - P/O Jack Ingram Maitland Bell RAFVR (124841).
Probable crew:
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Horace J Hamlyn RAFVR (1337099).
Navigator - Sgt H Farrington RAFVR (1236937).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Donald J Marshall RAFVR (1186999).
Air Gunner - Sgt Stephen Hugh Colin Brown RAFVR (1336567).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Alan Forster RAFVR (1247777).
Air Gunner - Sgt A E/W Sullivan.
Bell, Forster, Farrington, Hamlyn and Marshall were flying 76 Squadron Halifax DK134 on 5th May 1943 when the aircraft was shot down over Holland. All survived. Forster evaded capture before being found whilst everyone else became a PoW.
Sgt Sullivan wasnt with this crew on 5th May 1943. Three days later he was posted as "Non-effective" to No.1 Depot, Uxbridge. This appears to be where aircrew were posted to if the mental strain had taken an effect on these young men while operational flying.
This whole crew were posted to 76 Squadron from 1658 H.C.U. on 11th March 1943. On 17th April 1943 Sgt Brown was killed when Halifax DT575 failed to return from ops. to Plzen. He is buried Liesse Communal Cemetery.
Halifax HR748 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. On 11th March 1943 it was flown to Linton on Ouse (presumably for familiarization on type) and on 22nd March 1943 it was taken on charge by 76 Squadron at Linton on Ouse. As a result of the very minor damage sustaiend on 3rd April 1943 Cat.A/FA would have been the damage assessment which saw the damage immediately repaired within hours. On 26th April 1943 the aircraft as transferred to 78 Squadron, also based at Linton on Ouse. On 18th May 1943 Handley Page Ltd begun work on unspecified damage to the aircraft on site at Linton. On 30th June 1943 it was returned to 78 Squadron but they had moved to Breighton while it was being repaired. It received damage due to incendiaries falling from a higher flying aircraft and hitting the aircraft on Ops on 22nd / 23rd September 1943. On 24th September 1943 Handley Page Ltd again began repair on the Cat.Ac damage on site at Breighton. On 16th October 1943 it was returned to 78 Squadron at Breighton. On 4th January 1944 the aircraft was transferred to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor where it carried the unit code "JA-J". On 13th July 1944 it crashed near North Dalton on the Yorkshire Wolds. Cat.E1/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 24th July 1944 having clocked up a total of 619 hours flying time.