Halifax LV860 damaged in the air, landed at Leeming airfield.
During the evening of 4th December 1944 this 429 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Karlsruhe and took off from Leeming airfield at 16.53hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area at 19.38hrs from 17,200 feet. While over the target the aircraft was struck from above by falling incendiary bombs released by a higher flying aircraft and received damage to the port wing which caught fire. The pilot managed to extinguish the fire by putting the aircraft into a dive. Despite the damage the crew managed to fly back to Leeming airfield where they landed normally at 23.49hrs.
Pilot - F/Lt Peter Franklin Robb RCAF (J/5118).
Navigator - F/Lt Donald Scott MacNabb RCAF (J/13273).
Air Bomber - F/O Frederick Einar Casher RCAF (J/37805).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O D M McMurchy RCAF (J/43083).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Albert Edmond Lewthwaite RAFVR (1880688).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Herbert Henry Hockley RCAF (R/104233).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Gerald Soper Hope RCAF (R/259756).
On 23rd February 1945 Robb, MacNabb, Casher and Hockley died as a result of the crash Halifax LW139 near Exelby. They are buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery. The remaining three listed above survived despite suffering injuries.