Halifax HX171 at Melbourne airfield.
On the night of 25th / 26th November 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Frankfurt and took off from Melbourne airfield at 23.41hrs. The crew released their bomb load over the target area from 19,000 feet at 02.46hrs. On their return to Melbourne airfield at 07.14hrs the aircraft stalled just above the runway, the aircraft dropped and struck the ground damaging the tail fin and a wing.
Pilot - F/Sgt Thomas Wilson RAF (656584).
Navigator - F/Sgt Edward Albert Colburn RAFVR (657287).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Frank Alfred Moody RAFVR (1333665).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Cyril Ernest Girling RAFVR (1268632).
Air Gunner - Sgt Bernard Raymond Guy Walker RAFVR (1603285).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Andrew Kennedy RAFVR (971349).
Air Gunner - Sgt Robert Hutcheon RAF (652906).
All of the above were killed on Ops with 10 Squadron on 26th / 27th March 1944 in Halifax LV859. All are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery.