Halifax LV771 at Lissett airfield.
On the night of 7th / 8th March 1944 this 158 Squadron aircraft was used to flying an operational flight to bomb a terget at Le Mans and took off from Lissett airfield at 19.10hrs. When the aircraft was over the general target area no target indicators were seen so the crew circled the area between 21.38hrs and 21.50hrs but saw no target markers dropped. They decided not to drop their bomb load, jettisoned it at 22.35hrs from 11,000 feet and made for home. On return to Lissett at 00.10hrs the aircraft bounced and swung off the runway. The pilot lost control and the aircraft ran into a ploughed field. When the main wheels then ran over the edge of a disused road in the field the aircraft tipped onto it's nose.
Pilot - Sgt Stephen Hughes RAFVR (1332532).
Navigator - Sgt Desmond Vincent Simmonds RAFVR (1335450).
Air Bomber - Sgt Alfred Herring RAFVR (1458917).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Jones RAFVR (1575502).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Roland Waldron RAFVR (1609690).
Air Gunner - Sgt Fred Birtwell RAFVR (2209632).
Air Gunner - Sgt John McDougall RAFVR (1821992).