Halifax W1091 near Beal.
On 27th January 1944 this 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft took off from Burn airfield at 20.58hrs so the crew could undertake a night flying exercise. After taking off the aircraft headed south west, not south east as William Chorley states in his Bomber Command losses book. It began to climb away normally but then lost height and crashed near Beal, Beal is south west of Burn. The aircraft crashed on the bank of the River Aire and came to rest partly in the river. An investigation found that the pilot may have accidently pushed the flap lever too far after taking off causing the flaps to rise and send the aircraft towards the ground despite the engines running normally. Whether other members of what became this pilot's regular crew were flying in Halifax W1091 is not yet known. Salvaging the aircraft was a problem for 60 M.U. who recorded in the record book that they began salvaging on 5th February 1944 and finished on 20th February 1944 and that a major portion of aircraft was submerged, while the river was not tidal, the water level rose and fell depending on weather and that the aircraft had to be brought up a sixteen feet high bank. They were given assistance by the Army with Scammell tractors and a Marine Salvage Section.
Pilot - F/Sgt John Cecil Bond RAAF (420433).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt John Neville Keys RAAF (426112).
Crew - Names unknown.
The two airmen named above were posted to 466 Squadron on 19th February 1944. On 15th / 16th March 1944 they were flying Halifax LW521 on Ops to Stuttgart when the aircraft was badly damaged by an enemy aircraft and was ditched off Devon, sadly one member of their crew died but they were rescued. They returned to 466 Squadron and were killed on 10th / 11th April 1944 flying Halifax LV875 on Ops to Tergnier, France. Buried Meharicourt Communal Cemetery, France.