Halifax LK850 at Lissett airfield.
During the early hours of 15th October 1944 this 158 Squadron aircraft was to have been flown on an operational flight to bomb Duisburg. At 00.50hrs on take off from Lissett airfield the starboard outer failed before the aircraft got airborne. With the remaining area of airfield running out the pilot retracted the undercarriage to stop the aircraft but it then swung on its belly and skidded to a halt. A fire broke out and while six of the crew escaped without any problems the pilot realised that the rear gunner was trapped inside the aircraft so returned to it. With an axe he smashed into the rear turret and freed the air gunner. The area was cleared as the fire could not be brought under control and at 02.00hrs the bomb load on the aircraft exploded. The explosion disintergrated the aicraft and caused damage to airfield buildings including the technical buildings / radar section. 158 Squadron Halifax MZ862 had also failed to take off having swung off the runway and coming to rest with the tail wheel broken. It was then further damaged when LK850 exploded.
William Chorley's early book "In Brave Company" gives an account of this incident from the pilot who stated that the crew had attempted to take off in LK850 some minutes earlier but the starboard outer engine was running roughly so all got down and ran to where the spare aircraft should have been only to find it not there. They then ran back to LK850 and found that the engine appeared to be running normally so went to take off in this aircraft. Chorley quotes the names of the crew in his Bomber Command Losses book but I have not yet found a source record that names them, I do not wish to simply copy his book entry without checking it myself first. In "In Brave Company" he stated that the rear gunner was flying his first operational sortie but then in his Losses book the two named air gunners were not flying their first operational sortie. One of his books is therefore not correct.
Pilot - F/Lt Duncan White McAdam RAFVR (155013).
Crew - Names unconfirmed.