Halifax HX153 at Pocklington airfield.
On the night of 23rd / 24th April 1944 this 102 Squadron aircraft was used to flying an operational flight to lay mines and took off from Pocklington airfield at 21.02hrs. With the task complete the crew landed at Pocklington at 03.13hrs but the aircraft overshot into a ploughed field. When the wheels sank into soft ground the aircraft nosed over and was slightly damaged. This appears to have been the pilot's final mishap with 102 Squadron. It was stated on the AM Form 1180 that he had defective eyesight and was to be transferred to day flying.
Pilot - F/Sgt William Hennys RAF (859667).
Navigator - F/Sgt Dennis Frank Bottom RAFVR (1385015).
Air Bomber - F/Sgt Richard Osborne James Cooper RAFVR (1585422).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - WO P White.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Richard Neafsey RAFVR (936516).
Air Gunner - Sgt G B McRitchie.
Air Gunner - Sgt John Arnold Waugh RAFVR (1591662).
The pilot appears to have been posted in to 102 Squadron in September 1943 but was posted out in December 1943 following two training flight crashes, after I have not yet traced his movements until he arrived back at 102 Squadron in March 1944 and was posted away again in June 1944. His eyesight was deemed defective for night flying in May 1944 after a further accident at Pocklington involving Halifax HX153. His crew were, in the main, posted to 635 Squadron with some completing their tours with 640 Squadron before the end of the war.