Halifax R9370 at Riccall airfield.
On 23rd February 1944 this 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft was being flown on a daylight training flight and had landed at Riccall airfield at 13.50hrs. as it taxied across a grass area on the airfield it ran into a hole that had been dug to drain a wet area of the airfield, unfortunately the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed and it came to rest badly damaged. The hole had been dug but left unmarked.
Pilot - F/O Jack Jenkinson DFM RAFVR (149961).
Pilot - F/Sgt George Robert French RAFVR (1148278).
Seven airmen - Names unknown.
French completed his conversion training and was posted to 51 Squadron. He was killed on 2nd May 1944 when Halifax MZ593 failed to return from an operational flight to bomb a target at Mechelen.
Jack Jenkinson survived the crash of Halifax JD151 near Wressle on 11th August 1943 and was awarded the DFM for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943, but by this date he had been given a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 29th June 1943 though the London Gazette only printed this notification on 21st September 1943. He was later promoted to F/O on 29th December 1943 and to F/Lt on 29th June 1945. After a tour with 78 Squadron he served at 1658 HCU as an instructor.
Halifax R9370 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was awaiting collection on 11th November 1941. It was taken on charge the following month by 10 Squadron at Leeming when the unit began conversion from Whitley MkV's to Halifax MkII's. It was not used operationally by 10 Squadron at all in 1942 so was either used by them to train aircrew or was moved out of the unit. On an unknown date it was transferred to 35 Conversion Flight at Linton on Ouse, this may have been when they formed in February 1942. It was used on the Thousand Bomber raid on Bremen on 25th / 26th June 1942 which called for maximum effort by Bomber Command and the aircraft was flown by aircrew from 35 Squadron, not long after taking off the port inner engine failed so the crew jettisoned the bomb load in the North Sea and returned to base little over an hour after taking off. As a result of the tail wheel collapsing at Linton on Ouse on 24th July 1942 minor Cat.A/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site and being deemed a servicable aircraft on 13th September 1942. This was the date it was flown to Marston Moor as the unit had moved there a week earlier. On 21st September 1942 it again moved with the unit to Rufforth. On 7th October 1942 35 Squadron Conversion Flight was absorbed into 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor. On 13th October 1942 it was being flown on a solo night training flight when, on landing at Rufforth in poor visibility, the aircraft collided with Halifax W1014 and both aircraft were badly damaged. Once repaired it was transferred to 1658 H.C.U. at Riccall but the date for this transfer is not yet known. It was still being used by 1658 H.C.U. on 23rd February 1944 when the undercarriage collapsed at Riccall and it sustained serious damage from which it was deemed not worthy of repairing. Cat.E/FA damage was recorded and it was struck off charge.