Halifax MZ493 at Tholthorpe airfield.
During the evening of 29th December 1944 this 425 Squadron aircraft was used to fly an operational flight to bomb a railway marshalling yard at Troisdorf and took off from Tholthorpe airfield at 15.45hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto target markers through thick cloud at 19.22hrs from 20,000 feet. On their return to Tholthorpe at 23.00hrs the aircraft's approach speed was too great and it touched down 500 yards along a 1400 yard long runway leaving not enough concrete left to stop on. The aircraft overshot the runway and ran through the overshoot area coming to rest with its undercarriage collapsed in a ditch. The 425 Squadron orb does not list full crews in their operational flying records during December 1944, the crew list beloe was in their operational appendix.
Pilot - F/O Joseph Antoine Brassard RCAF (J/35310).
Navigator - F/O Jean L Bourke RCAF (J/38348).
Air Bomber - F/O Louis Philippe Bernatchez RCAF (J/39912).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Aime Ernest Thievin RCAF (R/203543).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Reginald J Fuller RAFVR (2221635).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt J C "George" Alarie RCAF (R/211031).
Air Gunner - Sgt J R C "Gerard" Lalonde RCAF (R/207167).