Halifax LW617 at East Moor airfield.
On the night of 1st / 2nd March 1944 this 432 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Stuttgart. The crew left East Moor at 23.19hrs and released their bomb load over the target area at 03.12hrs from 26,500 feet. On their return to England the crew were diverted to land at Gatwick and landed at 06.50hrs. The aircraft and crew then remained at Gatwick until the afternoon of 4th March 1944 when it was ferried back to Yorkshire. Prior to setting out from Gatwick no-one had thought to contact East Moor to inform them or to ask about weather conditions and the crew had not received permission to take off. Unfortunately during the flight north the aircraft's hydraulics failed and a snow storm blew in rather quickly. Airfield control staff at East Moor were busy diverting aircraft to other airfields that were known to be in the air when the crew of LW617 came on the radio transmitter to state that they were over East Moor requesting a landing. This was the first anyone at East Moor knew of Halifax LW617 being in the air. While diversions were being arranged for the other aircraft the snow storm cleared so Halifax LW617 made an approach to land at East Moor. The crew were able to pump the undercarriage down by hand and landed at 18.27hrs but well down the runway. Unfortunately the pilot could not extend the flaps to help the aircraft slow after landing. With just the brakes to assist slowing the aircraft it ran out of runway, it also ran onto ice and then skidded sideways causing the port undercarriage to collapse. Damage to the port undercarriage, port engines and propellers also damage to the mainplane and tailplane resulted.
Pilot - P/O Peter Woodrow Dennis RCAF (J/19651).
Navigator - Sgt Gordon Morris Atkins RCAF (R/157069).
Bomb Aimer - P/O John Francis O'Gorman RCAF (J/26089).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Peter Billie Woolfenden RAFVR (1318244).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Walter Harris Kent RAFVR (1403194).
Air Gunner - Sgt W Riding RAFVR (2216021).
Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Herve Leon Quesnel RCAF (R/136383).
Halifax LW617 was built to Contract ACFT/1808/C4/C by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered directly to 432 Squadron at East Moor on 10th February 1944. On landing at East Moor on 4th March 1944 the undercarriage collapsed. The damage assessment following this is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78 but it must have been Cat.B/FA damage as the aircraft required a repair by Handley Page at their works factory, lesser damage would probably have been repaired on site and far quicker. With the aircraft servicable on 14th July 1944 it was received by 45 MU and was then taken on charge by 158 Squadron at Lissett on 1st August 1944. It was slightly damaged by flak on 14th October 1944 and then further damaged on landing at Carnaby. A damage assessment of Cat.A/FB must have been the assessment as the incident is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78. A swift repair on site followed and it was returned to 158 Squadron. On 24th October 1944 it overshot landing at Lissett following a training flight resulting another undercarriage collapse but more serious damage resulted. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 1st November 1944.