Wellington LP296 at Bircotes airfield.
28 Operational Training Unit were using Bircotes airfield on detachment during July 1944. On 18th July 1944 the crew of this 28 Operational Training Unit aircraft were undertaking a basic night circuit training flight. 28 O.T.U. were using Bircotes airfield on detachment during July 1944. This training exercise involved making a series of short flights from Bircotes to give the crew practice at taking off, flying a circuit of the airfield, making an approach to land before then landing. At 02.33hrs during one of these short flights the wind changed direction and when the aircraft landed it was with the wind rather than into the wind, because of this the pilot was unable to prevent the aircraft from overshooting. In trying to deliberately swinging the aircraft to stop the aircraft the undercarriage then collapsed. The aircraft was deemed to be damaged beyond repair.
Pilot (Instructor?) - F/O J E Burton (Possibly F/O John Edwin Burton DFM RAFVR (161798)).
Pilot (Trainee) - W/O Owen Rufus Herbert RAFVR (1311784).
If the assumed instructor was John Burton then he had been awarded the DFM for service with 199 Squadron earlier in the War.
Owen Herbert was granted a commission on 27th July 1944. He was later posted to 576 Squadron and was awarded the DFC for service with them.