Halifax LL171 at Topcliffe airfield.
On the night of 13th / 14th August 1944 this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was used by a trainee crew to fly a Bullseye flight. Normally this was an exercise that involved a trainee crew navigating their way to a British town or city and then to make a dry-run bombing attack, not only would it test the crews in the aircraft but also the ground units near the simulated target area. On this date however the Topcliffe airfield records state that there was a "Mocking Bird" exercise carried out and the first for this unit, what this involved I have not yet learnt. It may have been the first of a dummy bomber stream flying out over the North Sea to trick German radar while an actual bomber force was inbound to a different area of occupied Europe. This aircraft took off from Topcliffe at 22.10hrs and shortly after setting course the port outer engine's oil pressure gauge and temperature rose beyond a level that was normal. The crew appear to have then attempted to feather the propeller but the AM Form 1180 is unclear as to weather this was successful or not. They abandoned the flight and returned to Topcliffe but on landing at 22.25hrs the pilot forgot to lower the undercarriage until the last moment. By the time the aircraft touched down it was only part-lowered and then collapsed. The undercarriage may have been lowered, then retracted then lowered again just before touching down but by the time it touched down it practically made a belly landing. The pilot was deemed to be at fault and appears to have been taken off the Heavy Conversion Unit course. The aircraft was initially considered for repair but ten days later was re-assessed as beyond repair.
Pilot - P/O J G Locke RCAF (J/87802).