Halifax LW694 at Leeming airfield.
On the night of 1st / 2nd May 1944 this 429 Squadron aircraft was used to flying an operational flight to bomb at target at St.Ghislain and took off from Leeming airfield at 22.13hrs. The crew released their bomb load on the target at 00.07hrs from 7,500 feet. On the approach to land at Leeming at 02.52hrs a gusty wind was effecting flying and also the slip stream of an aircraft in front. The aircraft made the approach to land too low and also too slow and combined with the wind the pilot was unable to control the aircraft properly. It struck the angle of glide indicator which burst a tyre. On landing the aircraft drifted off the runway, the pilot swung the aircraft back towards the runway but was unable to control the swing and ground-looped. The aircraft came to rest with the port undercarriage collapsed. It blocked two runways. Soon after this incident the pilot was taken off flying four engined aircraft, the AM Form 1180 states it was the second similar mishap he was involved in (though there was then another on 8th May 1944 in Halifax LV691).
Pilot - F/Lt John Gellner DFC RCAF (J/2822).
Navigator - Sgt Wilfred Henry Devine RCAF (R/161385).
Air Bomber - Sgt Robert Neil McEachern RCAF (R/171540).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Russell Munn Almas RCAF (R/161274).
Flight Engineer - Sgt George Walter Harris RAF (871553).
Rear Gunner - Sgt Robert Ernest Nelson RCAF (R/212423).
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Clarence Martin Wert RCAF (R/196866)
Mid Under Gunner - Sgt John Vernon Sheardown RCAF (R/201278).