Halifax JB974 at Melbourne airfield.

At around 22.45hrs on the night of the 8th October 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were preparing to take off from Melbourne airfield to undertake an operational flight to bomb Hannover. As the aircraft was on the perimeter track the flight engineer had left the aircraft to examine it. The aircraft had left the concrete and had become bogged down in soft ground. While walking next to the aircraft he walked into a propeller, generally walking into a rotating propeller would cause serious injuries or death but in this case the airman escaped with only minor injuries and was taken to the base sick quarters. He soon recovered, was back on Ops but was killed with everyone else listed below before the end of the month.

Pilot - F/Lt Herbert Henry Vincent Wilkinson RAFVR (110542).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Harold Kearsley RAFVR (1589516). Slightly injured.

Navigator - F/O Robert Lionel Harman Ball RAFVR (130156).

Bomb Aimer - F/O Frank Hewitt RAFVR (133098).

Wireless Operator - Sgt Kenneth Lomas RAFVR (1077211).

Air Gunner - Sgt Richard Thomas Burman RAFVR (1077981).

Air Gunner - Sgt Ronald Lascelles Jenkins RAFVR (1321940).

On the night of 22nd / 23rd October 1943 all of the above were flying Ops to Kassel in Halifax JB974 when the aircraft crashed in Germany. All are now buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

Wilkinson, Ball, Lomas and Jenkins had earlier served with 431 Squadron flying Wellingtons before converting to Halifaxes and posting to 10 Squadron.

Halifax JB974 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Melbourne on 21st April 1943. As a result of battle damage on Ops on 13th May 1943 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment and a repair on site commenced on 17th May 1943. The aircraft was returned to 10 Squadron on 19th June 1943. On 11th August 1943 it appears to have sustained minor battle damage on Ops to Nuremberg though the squadron records do not list any, Cat.Ac/FB damage was the assessment given on the AM Form 78 for the aircraft and it was repaired on site. It returned to 10 Squadron charge on 6th September 1943. On 8th October 1943 it's then flight engine walked into a rotating propeller at Melbourne, he was incredibly lucky to receive only minor injuries. On 23rd October 1943 the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Kassel with the loss of the seven man crew. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 31st October 1943. It had clocked up 126 flying hours from new.

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