On the night of 12th / 13th July 1944 crews of 346 Squadron were tasked with bombing a V-1 flying bomb launch site at Hauts-Buissons in Northern France. This aircraft took off from Elvington at 22.50hrs and all appears to have gone without incident until they had returned to the skies around Elvington and had joined the landing circuit to await their turn to land. While flying in the airfield circuit at 2,000 feet Halifax NA546 collided with Halifax NA551 which was also in the landing circuit and waiting to land. Control of NA551 was immediately lost and it crashed near Dunnington at 02.23hrs with all on board being killed. Halifax NA546 had probably struck the other aircraft with a wing and damaged a propeller, it was felt to be vibrating badly and the aircraft became hard to control. The bomb aimer in French custom was the captain of the aircraft and he then ordered the crew to bale out. The ORB for 346 Squadron appears to suggest that the bomb aimer and rear gunner baled out. The remaining crew (pilot or flight engineer) instead of baling out then feathered the propeller on the damaged engine which reduced the vibrations and the pilot then opted to land the aircraft at Elvington airfield without further incident.
As I read this, having ordered his crew to bale out the bomb aimer then left the aircraft first and then the pilot effectively dismissed that order, fixed the problem and landed the aircraft. Strange that the captain would leave the aircraft first.
Pilot - Lt J Gronier FFAF.
Flight Engineer - Adj R Kopp FFAF.
Navigator - Lt G Ravotti FFAF.
Bomb Aimer - Cpt Jules Roy FFAF.
Wireless Operator - S/C D Duran FFAF.
Mid Upper Gunner - S/C Kergrene FFAF.
Rear Gunner - Adj A Mot FFAF.