Halifax LK765 at East Moor airfield.
On the evening of 24th February 1944 this 432 Squadron aircraft was one that were used on an operational flight to bomb Schweinfurt. They set out from East Moor at 18.18hrs. Unfortunately a fuel leak caused the crew to abandon the task and make a return to base. At 20.41hrs the aircraft made a heavy tail-first landing at East Moor airfield which broke the tail wheel fork and cause the tail undercarriage to collapse. Unfortunately the 432 Squadron orb scribe got himself into a right pickle recording the names and service numbers of this crew, throughout their tour their service numbers keep changing between each person and occasion completely different numbers. The list I show below I believe is correct but would gladly accept any corrections.
Pilot - F/Sgt John Joseph Cooper RCAF (Can.776).
Second Pilot - F/Sgt Chester Russell Narum RCAF (R/159116).
Navigator - F/Sgt H Burrill RCAF (R/152128).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie Gilbert Short RAFVR (1320152).
? - Sgt Geoffrey Parker Waddington RAFVR (1580756).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Oseman RAFVR (1636546.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Clifford George Haining RAFVR (1605253).
Chester Narum was killed on 31st March 1944 when 432 Squadron Halifax LW682 was shot down over Germany on an operational flight.
Halifax LK765 was built to contract ACFT/891 by Fairey Aviation Co.Ltd. at Stockport and was taken on charge as new by 432 Squadron at East Moor on 16th February 1944. On 24th February 1944 the tail wheel assembly broke on landing at East Moor which saw a Cat.Ac/FB damage assessment. The aircraft was repaired on site and it was returned to 432 Squadron on 15th March 1944. 432 Squadron used the aircraft until July 1944 when it appears to have been loaned to 415 Squadron, also at East Moor. Following a flak incident on 5th August 1944 it then appears to have had a Cat.A/FB damage assessment which required a repair on site by a team from Handley Page. Had it received an more serious damage the damage assessment would probably have been logged on the AM Form 78 and it is not. The aircraft was servicable on 18th August 1944 and two days later was officially transferred to 415 Squadron. It was then twice slightly damaged by flak on 11th September 1944 and on 12th September 1944, each incident it only suffered very minor Cat.A/FB damage and neither was recorded on the AM Form 78. On 1st October 1944 it's Form AM78 records it as having sustained minor Cat.Ac/FB damage which was downgraded to Re-Cat.A the following day and also returned to 415 Squadron that day. Unfortunately the 415 Squadron orb scribe omits to list any aircraft used operationally during September 1944 by serial number so whether the damage was battle damage related it is not yet known. The aircraft was transferred to 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit at Wombleton on 3rd November 1944 and then to 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit at Dishforth on 29th November 1944. This unit disbanded on 6th April 1945 and the aircraft was flown into long term storage at 45 M.U. on 21st April 1945 where it remained until being struck off charge on 21st December 1946 when it was scrapped.