Halifax JD254 at Carnaby airfield.
On 10th October 1944 this 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was due to be flown on a ferry flight. Where or why this ferry flight was planned is not yet known. It may have either been from 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit to another unit or (as the aircraft was fairly old) into an RAF Maintenance Unit, or it had earlier made a landing other than at 1669 H.C.U.'s home airfield of Langer and the plan was to return to Langer. I have not yet seen 1669 H.C.U.'s orb to obtain more information. On take off (either from Langer or another airfield) the crew attempted to raise the undercarriage too soon after it had become airborne and when the undercarriage was partly retracted the aircraft sank slightly. This caused the wheels to touch the concrete and damage the undercarriage mechanism. The crew managed to remain in the air but the undercarriage would not properly retract. Fearing a problem with the undercarriage collapsing on landing the crew were ordered to divert to make a landing on the emergency landing strip at Carnaby. At 12.30hrs it landed there but the undercarriage then collapsed as thought.
Pilot - F/O James Christopher Baldwin DFM RAFVR (146873).