Halifax MZ470 at Full Sutton airfield.
During the evening of 12th December 1944 this 77 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Essen and took off from Full Sutton airfield at 16.25hrs. The crew released their bomb load from 19,600 feet at 19.45hrs and made for home. They reached the landing circuit of Full Sutton without incident but during theuir first approach to land they were forced to fly an overshoot because another aircraft. At 22.12hrs the aircraft made a landing at Full Sutton but the undercarriage was not fully lowered by the time the landing was made so it collapsed when weight was put on it. This flight was to have been the final trip of the crew's operational tour with 77 Squadron.
Pilot - F/O Mons Edwin Murrell RNZAF (NZ.39774).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Arthur Baker RAFVR (1433353).
Navigator - P/O William Roderick MacPherson RAAF (414155).
Air Bomber - F/Sgt Hilary James Connolly RAAF (424977).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O John William Bishop RAAF (426510).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt H Hughes RAFVR.
Air Gunner - P/O Horace Edwin Smith RAFVR (185311).