Halifax R9363 at Topcliffe airfield.
At 12.05hrs on 25th July 1943 this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was landing at Topcliffe airfield as part of an exercise to fly and land on only three engines. Unfortunately the pilot tried to make a turning while taxying on the ground when the aircraft was travelling too fast and the undercarriage collapsed.
Pupil Pilot - Sgt Anthony Edwin Willey RAFVR (1388287).
Instructor Pilot - F/O Nathaniel Denver Daggett RCAF (J/15987).
Anthony Willey was posted to 429 Squadron in August 1943. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 25th September 1943 (159877) and rose to F/O on 25th March 1944 and F/Lt on 25th September 1945. The 429 Squadron website states that he was posted to 14 OTU on 31st March 1944 (to instruct?) and was later posted operational again. For later service with 128 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 7th December 1945.
Halifax R9363 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was flown to 24 MU at Ternhill on 20th October 1941. It was initially taken on charge by 78 Squadron at Croft on 24th February 1942 and then transferred to 405 Squadron Conversion Flight at Pocklington on 23rd April 1942. It was used on the Thousand Bomber raid on Cologne on 31st May 1942 and was attacked by a Bf110 night fighter that damaged the port outer engine. Cat.A/FB damage was the result of the assessment and a repair on site was begun on 3rd June 1942. It was returned to 405 Conversion Flight on 19th June 1942 but they moved to Topcliffe while it was being repaired. As result of damage sustained on 1st September 1942 minor Cat.A/FA was the assessment and it was again repaired on site with the repair beginning on 7th September 1942. It was returned to 405 C.F. the following day. On 6th October 1942 it was transferred to 408 Squadron Conversion Flight at Leeming. On 7th October 1942 408 Squadron Conversion Flight was absorbed into 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Leeming but the AM Form 78 records the transfer as being on 14th March 1943 once they had moved to Topcliffe. It received minor Cat.Ac/FA damage on 6th April 1943 at Topcliffe after ground loop with the next repair beginning on 9th April 1943. It was then returned to 1659 H.C.U. on 13th June 1943. On 25th July 1943 it was again damaged at Topcliffe when it ground looped, Cat.Ac/FA damage being the damage assessment again. A repair on site began on 29th July 1943 by Handley Page Ltd and it was returned to 1659 HCU on 15th September 1943. On 17th September 1944 it received a damage assessment of Cat.Ac, possibly from a flying accident. The damage was re-assessed on 28th September 1944 and it was Re.Cat.E which saw it struck off charge.