Halifax HX184 at Melbourne airfield.
On the night of 4th / 5th February 1944 this 10 Squadron aircraft was to have been flown on a mine laying operational sortie. On take off at 18.00hrs a blade on the starboard outer engine detached from the hub, as it left the aircraft it struck and damaged the starboard inner engine. The pilot remained in control and safely stopped the aircraft from taking off without damage to the anything other than the starboard inner engine and that probably required replacing. The type of propeller blade that came adrift was withdrawn from use soon after this incident.
Pilot - F/O Leslie Jones Hampton DFM RAFVR (142528).