Halifax W7704 at Topcliffe airfield.
On 25th May 1943 the undercarriage of this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft collapsed on landing at 02.50hrs at Topcliffe airfield following a night training exercise. No injuries were reported. A previous heavy landing was believed to have weakened the undercarriage.
Pilot - Sgt Leslie Chapman RCAF (R/69955).
Pilot - WO2 J Sommerville RCAF (R/67665).
Sgt Chapman completed his training and was posted to 419 Squadron, on the night of 25th / 26th July 1943 he was the pilot of Halifax JD256 undertaking Ops to Essen when the aircraft was struck on the tail by another aircraft or by bombs falling from above over the target area. Sgt Chapman was the only survivor from JD256; his own crew (who may also have been on board Halifax W7704 when it crashed at Topcliffe a couple of months earlier) and a second pilot all lost their lives. Sgt Chapman became a PoW.
WO2 Sommerville's surname could be incorrectly spelt and he may well have been a WO2 Somerville and if so he was soon posted to 405 Squadron. On 11th June 1943 he was flying in Halifax HR797 when it failed to return from Ops to Dusseldorf, the aircraft ditched in the sea and the tide took the dinghy back to the Dutch coast. He was made a PoW but was repatriated in 1944.
Halifax W7704 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Pocklington on 16th May 1942. The aircraft moved to 405 Conversion Flight on 7th August 1942 also based at Pocklington but they then moved to Topcliffe on 25th August 1942. On 7th October 1942 405 Conversion Flight was absorbed into 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Leeming but the official transfer of the aircraft did not take place until 31st December 1942. 1659 H.C.U. moved to Topcliffe on 14th March 1943. As a result of the crash at Topcliffe on 25th May 1943 Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 1st June 1943 having clocked up some 521.55 flying hours from new.