Halifax LW514 at Leconfield airfield.
On the night of 20th / 21st February 1944 the crew of this 640 Squadron aircraft were detailed to fly an operational flight to Stuttgart and took off from Leconfield at 23.59hrs. On take off the port outer engine failed so was shut down. Being so close to the coast the crew flew out to sea and jettisoned their bomb load before returning to the landing circuit at Leconfield. At 00.57hrs the aircraft was landed at Leconfield but the crew had not checked that the undercarriage was correctly lowered so when it landed the undercarriage collapsed.
Pilot - F/Sgt Harry Cotton RAFVR (1318092).
Second Pilot - AM Form 1180 refers to a second pilot. Un-mentioned in squadron records.
Navigator - F/Sgt Peter Frederick McKinney RAFVR (1338714).
Air Bomber - Sgt D Lonsdale RAFVR (1230159).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt D Ottley RAFVR (1271496).
Flight Engineer - Sgt M Kelly RAFVR (1523175).
Air Gunner - Sgt Alan Neall RAAF (432617).
Air Gunner - Sgt Crory.