B-24 Liberator 42-51558 at Leconfield airfield.
On 31st January 1945 the crew of this 566th Bombardment Squadron, 389 Bomber Group, USAAF aircraft was part of a group of 4030 aircraft taking part in a raid on Brunswick Hallendorf but because of poor weather conditions part of the raid was scrapped after the aircraft had taken off. In all 112 B17's and 291 B24's were recalled as were nearly 200 P51 fighters acting as escorts and scouting forces. By the time the force was recalled many were well on their way to the target area. Because of bad weather around their bases in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire many crews were diverted north to land and a number of aircraft suffered damage in Yorkshire trying to land. This specific aircraft was diverted to try and land at Leconfield, despite thick fog over Yorkshire they reached the circuit of Leconfield by 14.00hrs. B-24 42-95227 crashed at 14.07hrs just off the first runway in use. The runway in use was then changed. At 14.24hrs the crew of B-24 42-51558 successfully touched down on this runway but a four feet high bank of snow that had been ploughed off the concrete was left in a line down the side of the runway. As they landed the crew noticed that another B-24 (captained by Cpt William E Boone) was making a final approach to land on the other runway that was now closed for landings. Realising that a collision would occur should that aircraft touch down the pilot of 42-51558 turned their aircraft off the runway but through the snow bank. This tore off the nose undercarriage leg and it skidded to a halt close to the runway intersections. The pilot of the other B-24 realised a collision was possible so did not land and sucessfully flew an overshoot. Both the USAAF crews blamed Leconfield ground control for not firing a red flare to warn off the B-24 from landing on the closed runway. The location of where 42-51558 had come to rest prevented any further aircraft from landing at Leconfield. It forced Leconfield flying control to close the airfield and divert aircraft in their circuit away (possibly to East Fortune). Unfortunately one of these other aircraft crashed at Hutton Buscel killing most of it's crew while attempting a forced landing after running out of fuel.
Pilot - 1Lt Henry F Burkett USAAF (O-823808).
Co-Pilot - 2Lt Elmer E Crotzer USAAF (O-2000236).
Navigator - 2Lt Albert M Hendricks USAAF (O-723358).
Engineer - T/Sgt Robert W Trulove USAAF (32911353).
Radio Operator - T/Sgt Robert E Schulte USAAF (14135132).
NG - S/Sgt Armand L DeSaverio USAAF (37343503).
Tail Gunner - S/Sgt Roy W Fore USAAF (37558136).
Waist Gunner - S/Sgt Daryl H Munger USAAF (17118537).
Waist Gunner - S/Sgt Larence F Ryan Jr USAAF (33829868).
I read of the WW2 B-24 activity in England and found reference to Henry F Burkett. Hank, as I referred to him, flew for PanAm after the war and retired in the early 1980s at the mandatory age of 60. He hadn't had enough of flying though, and so bought a Cessna 172 and obtained his instructors license and set out to teach the younger pilots what he knew. That is when I met him...in 1985. He coached me through the instrument flying course and I obtained my IFR rating in 1986. He continued to teach and I moved on. I heard that in 1992 he passed away after suffering a stroke while instructing. The student brought the plane down safely. I will always remember the lessons Hank taught me about flying and about life.