Wellington BK494 near East Moor airfield.
During the evening of 16th March 1944 this No.12 Operational Training Unit aircraft took off from Chipping Warden at 19.30hrs for the crew to undertake a night-navigation exercise. During the flight and whilst in the York area the aircraft suffered an engine failure which resulted in loss of hydraulics. The crew made a "Darky" radio transmission for assistance in landing. The engine was feathered and the crew attempted to land at East Moor at 22.30hrs but without flaps. Unfortunately the crew touched down well off the runway and ran into trees on the edge of the airfield. The location was either off the end of the runway and into the fields south of Strensall Lane at Low Carr (source:?), or in a field just east of the airfield on the approach to land (source:East Moor orb). The bomb aimer received a head injury. The aircraft was not repaired.
Pilot - F/Sgt H R Hodge RCAF.
Crew - Names unknown. One injured.
Wellington BK494 was built to Contract 124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Chester. It was received by 48 M.U. at Hawarden on 5th November 1942 and was taken on charge by 12 OTU on 29th January 1943. It had an uneventful life until the accident at East Moor on 16th March 1944. Following this incident on 16th March 1944 at East Moor Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 23rd March 1944.