Halifax MZ455 at Croft airfield.
At around 06.00hrs on 14th October 1944 this 431 Squadron aircraft was taxying at Croft prior to setting out on an operational flight to Duisburg when the aircraft left the concrete and ran onto the grass. The grass contained a ditch and when the tail wheel ran through it the tail wheel fork broke. The AM Form 1180 names the pilot but he and his crew are listed in the 431 Squadron orb as flying Halifax NR145 on this date so I presume they jumped into a spare aircraft and undertook the operational order.
Pilot - F/O J S Patterson RCAF (J/37052).