Halifax NA195 damaged in the air, landed at Melbourne airfield.
On the evening of 30th December 1944 this 10 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb the Kalk Nord marshalling yards Cologne and the aircraft took off from Melbourne at 17.36hrs. Owing to a faulty electric bomb release catch three minutes after taking off a 2,000lb bomb broke loose from the bomb rack and fell through the bomb doors, exploding on impact with the ground near the Spaldington Bombing Ranges. Despite the damage to the bomb doors the crew continued with the flight, releasing the rest of their bomb load from 20,000 feet at 21.04hrs. The crew returned to Melbourne and landed at 23.46hrs.
Pilot - F/O Ronald John Daffey DFM RAFVR (159488).
Navigator - F/Lt James Naylor DFC RAFVR (128490).
Air Bomber - F/Lt Thomas Cameron Treadwell DFC RAFVR (127110).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - WO H Banks.
Air Gunner - WO F Sparks.
Flight Engineer - Sgt J Henderson (Probably Sgt Jack Henderson DFM RAFVR (1210879)).
Air Gunner - F/O R Drake.