Halifax DK178 at Carnaby airfield.
During the afternoon of 18th July 1944 this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was flown on a fighter affiliation exercise. The aircraft took off from Rufforth airfield at 14.51hrs. With the exercise all but complete the crew returned to the circuit of Rufforth airfield. As they made an approach to land the crew found that one of the main undercarriage legs would not lower. The aircraft was diverted to land at the emergency landing strip at Carnaby and at 18.07hrs, with the undercarriage still firmly up, a belly landing was made. The aircraft was badly damaged and was not repaired. The undercarriage fault was blamed on a bolt that had failed and meant that the undercarriage up-lock would not dis-engage. The pilot was soon posted to 347 Squadron.
Pilot - Lt E or F Deleuze FFAF (000670).