Halifax NA621 at Driffield airfield.
During the afternoon of 12th September 1944 this 462 Squadron aircraft was used to fly an operational flight to bomb a target at Gelsenkirchen and took off from Driffield airfield at 11.14hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area from 18,500 feet at 13.40hrs but unfortunately a bomb failed to release correctly. This hung-up bomb went unnoticed by the crew. The aircraft landed at Driffield at 16.00hrs but on landing the bomb released and caused minor damage to the aircraft (it cannot have been a very large bomb if it exploded). It was thought that the bomb release was probably frozen while over the target and this prevented the release, once it thawed at a lower height the bomb came loose.
Pilot - W/O John Edward Byrom RAAF (415615).
Navigator - Sgt Philip Arthur Kelly RAAF (432209).
Air Bomber - Sgt W H Maxwell RAFVR (1341921).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Owen Emmett O'Brien RAAF (426466).
Flight Engineer - Sgt J L Morton RAFVR (3040044).
Air Gunner - Sgt M J Kavanagh RAFVR (1796875).
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Aaron Owen Hartop RAFVR (1455815).