Halifax LL581 at Elvington airfield.
On the night of 20th / 21st February 1945 this 347 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb the Rhenania Ossag oil refinery at Reisholz, Dusseldorf and took off from Elvington at 21.43hrs. The crew released their bomb load on a GEE fix at 01.43hrs from 18,000 feet and made for home. Once back over the skies over Yorkshire the flight engineer warned the pilot that he believed that the fuel level was getting critically low. While the approach to land at Elvington was obstructed the pilot attempted a landing and at 05.08hrs the aircraft touched down. Unfortunately the aircraft did not land properly on a runway and could not be brought to a halt in time before it ran into a gate on the edge of the airfield. Minor damage to the aircraft resulted. It later transpired that there was enough fuel left to make an overshoot and fly another circuit of the airfield to gain a better approach to land.
Pilot - Adc A Vidal FFAF (541).
Flight Engineer - Adj Louis Leonard Jean Portesseau FFAF (1682).
Navigator - Ltn L Guenois FFAF (003368).
Air Bomber - S/Lt G Piccot FFAF (36677).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J Chanson FFAF (3812).
Air Gunner - Sgt A Bruno FFAF (2175).
Air Gunner - Sgt R Pizel FFAF (960).