Halifax MZ335 at Full Sutton airfield.
At 15.04hrs on 2nd January 1945 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft were taking off from Full Sutton airfield to undertake an operational flight to bomb Ludwigshafen. A problem with the port outer and starboard inner engines gave warning lights in the cockpit so the pilot decreased power to try and stop the aircraft but there was not enough distance left to bring the aircraft to a halt, it ran through the overshoot area and a fire broke out after it crashed. The crew escaped injury. This crew did not have much luck flying operationally during the first week of January 1945; on 1st and 5th a problem with the aircraft meant they could not begin to take off and this crash on 2nd January saw them miss a further operational trip.
Pilot - F/Sgt Derrick William Muggeridge RAFVR (1398409).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Walter Bernard Keal RAFVR (1897002).
Navigator - Sgt Alexander Harvey Croll RAFVR (1570260).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Harry Wright RAFVR (1624335).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Walter Forbes RAFVR (1513573).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Charles Edward Foster RAFVR (952987).
Air Gunner - Sgt Malcolm Ernest Taylor RAFVR (1818668).
This crew were all killed on 7th February 1945 when 77 Squadron Halifax MZ689 failed to return from an operational flight to bomb Goch. All are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.