Halifax MZ846 probably damaged in the air, landed at Wombleton airfield.

On 5th August 1944 the crew of this 434 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb V.1 storage tunnels at St. Leu D'Esserent and took off from Croft airfield at 10.45hrs. This aeroplane is not listed within the squadron records as sustaining damage in the air through flak or enemy action. The crew released their bomb load onto target indicator markers at 13.22hrs from 15,000 feet and flew back to Yorkshire but landed at Wombleton at 15.52hrs. This aeroplane was one of nine from Croft (431 and 434 Squadrons) to land at Wombleton, with one sustaining a burst tyre on landing there. This aeroplane must have sustained damage on this date because it is referred to as having sustained minor damage in National Archives file AIR14/3310 on this date. A Cat.B damage assessment was given on 7th August 1944 on the Halifax's AM Form 78 but there is however no AM Form 1180 for any potential flying accident on the date. I cannot therefore prove the exact course of events but would suggest it was potentially slightly damaged on the operational flight on 5th August, on landing at Wombleton or possibly with damage found once the aeroplane had been flown back to Croft.

Pilot - F/O Keith Wayne Magrath RCAF (J/25836).

Navigator - F/O D Milne RCAF (J/28976).

Bomb Aimer - F/O J McIntosh RCAF (J/28893).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O F Reader RCAF (J/11599).

Air Gunner - Sgt W Perkinson RCAF (R/202745).

Air Gunner - F/Sgt D Barnes RCAF (R/209979).

Flight Engineer - P/O Alexander Stanley Clark RAF (55843).