Halifax W1093 at Breighton airfield.

On 4th August 1943 the crew of this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Riccall airfield to undertake a basic circuits and landings exercise, an hour into the training exercise the pilot attempted to land at Lindholme but landed heavily, bounced on one wheel and then back into the air. The pilot regained control and flew another circuit of the airfield but then appears to have headed to nearby Breighton airfield. On touching down at Breighton for the next landing the undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a halt. The damage was assessed and it was deemed beyond repair.

Halifax W1093 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection on 27th April 1942. It was taken on charge early the following month by 78 Squadron at Croft and as a result of minor damage on 9th June 1942 Cat.A/FB was the assessment, it was repaired on site and returned to 78 Squadron use. It was transferred to 1658 HCU at Riccall around the time the unit formed in October 1942. On 4th August 1943 it was written off in the crash at Breighton resulting in Cat.E/FA damage being recorded on the paperwork.

Pilot - Sgt William Arnold Burgum RAAF (414463).

Pilot - F/O John Griffith Jenkins RAFVR (124463).

John Jenkins was a Sunday School teacher, organist, choir conductor and deacon at Brithdir Beulah Baptist church prior to enlisting for RAFVR service. He was also an undergraduate at Cardiff University in 1941 where he had probably first flown. He received a commission in the RAFVR on 19th June 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation and rose to F/O on 19th December 1942. He was involved in a similar incident at Riccall on 6th June 1943 when Halifax W7908 suffered from the undercarriage collapsing following a training flight wth the same 1658 HCU. He later flew a Tour with 10 Squadron and was promoted to F/Lt on 19th June 1944. He died on 24th April 1945 flying Spitfire EN666 with 8 OTU when it crashed near Haverfordwest and is buried at Gwaelodybrithdir Cemetery, Wales. He was twenty three years old. I thank Mr Roy Smith for contacting me and kindly updating this webpage.
William Burgum was soon posted to 158 Squadron, on 24th August 1943 he was the pilot of Halifax HR980 undertaking Ops to Berlin when the aircraft crashed in Germany but on boggy ground and only two bodies of the crew were found. He was one of five who have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was twenty one years old.

Back to monthly table.