Halifax MZ603 at East Moor airfield.
At 21.40hrs on 22nd May 1944 this 432 Squadron aircraft was being taxied around East Moor airfield from dispersal for a non-operational flight when the starboard main wheel came too close to the edge of the perimeter track. This caused the concrete perimeter track to break up and the aircraft to sink resulting in minor damage to the aircraft's starboard wing tip when it struck an engine stand. The incident may have occurred during an airtest prior to an operational flight to Le Mans that night. Halifax MZ603 is believed to be shown in the photograph shown above and carried the nose art "Eddie's Nightmare".
Crew - Names unknown.
Halifax MZ603 was built to contract ACFT/2553 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered directly to 426 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 24th April 1944. The following day the aircraft was transferred to 432 Squadron at East Moor on 25th April 1944 but any record of the aircraft being with 432 Squadron is omitted from it's AM Form 78. As a result of minor damage sustained at East Moor on 22nd May 1944 Cat.A/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site with repair completed by 27th May 1944. It was damaged again at East Moor on 28th May 1944 when it overshot on return from Ops, again Cat.A/FA damage would have been the damage assessment and it was again repaired on site. It transferred to 415 Squadron at East Moor around July 1944 but again this transfer is not on the aircraft's AM Form 78. On 5th September 1944 the tail wheel assembly broke on landing at East Moor and Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment. Again a repair on site was carried out on site and it was returned to 415 Squadron. The aircraft failed to return from Ops to Dusseldorf on 2nd November 1944 with Cat.Em damage being recorded on the paperwork, the aircraft was then struck off charge on 15th November 1944.