Unidentified Halifax damaged in the air, landed at Rufforth airfield.
On the night of 18th / 19th March 1945 the crew of this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft were one of a number of similar Heavy Conversion Unit crews tasked with flying as part of a diversionary Sweepstake operational flight to a location in France. The crews who took part would have been coming to the end of the H.C.U. training and would be nearly ready to be posted to operational squadrons. This aircraft took off from Rufforth airfield at around 22.30hrs. While over France the aircraft was attacked and damaged by a Junker Ju88 aircraft with the Halifax's gunners returning fire and possibly damaged it in turn. Despite the damage the crew of the Halifax appear to have flown it back to Rufforth and land without further incident. I have not yet been able to identify the aircraft other than the station orb listing it as "-A". The crew are also yet to be identified.
Crew - Names unknown.