Halifax LL288 at Topcliffe airfield.
During the afternoon on 28th May 1944 this 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was to have been flown on a circuits and landings training exercise using Topcliffe airfield. On take off from Topcliffe airfield at 14.03hrs the aircraft began to swing off the runway. The pilot reduced power to the engines but the port undercarriage left the concrete and when it ran into some soft ground it sank and then broke off. The rear gunner sustained injuries. A later check of the cockpit found that the rudder had been set to full port lock prior to the crew attempting to take off. The damage to Halifax LL288 was assessed on site and initially deemed repairable on site with Cat.Ac/FA damage but this was upgraded to Cat.B which would have seen it taken to Handley Page for repair but it was struck off charge on 8th June 1944, presumably once repair got underway structural damage was discovered.
Pilot - F/Sgt E J Henn RCAF (R/162967).
Air Gunner - Sgt J J Berch RCAF (R/208093). Injured.
The No.61 Base RCAF record book states that Halifax LL286 was also damaged on this date and while does not specifically state as much it does suggest it was damaged in the course of Halifax LL288 crashing, there is no AM Form 1180 for LL286 and the damage is not listed on the aeroplane's AM Form 78. This suggests the damage was only very minor, probably Cat.A.