Halifax MZ404 at Leconfield airfield.
On the night of 8th / 9th March 1945 this 640 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. The aircraft took off from Leconfield at 18.42hrs and the crew released their bomb load at 21.33hrs from 18,000 feet onto target markers. A normal landing was made at Leconfield at 00.03hrs but without warning the tail wheel assembly collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a halt with minor damage. A modification to the Halifax tail wheel mounting brackets had not yet been made to this aircraft.
Pilot - F/Lt Ian Allistair Simpson RAAF (421855).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Alan Dansey RAAF (433776).
Navigator - F/O Geoffrey Arnold Garner RAFVR (164052).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O G Williams
Air Gunner - Sgt M A Murray
Air Gunner - Sgt G Bayliss
Flight Engineer - Sgt R C Springall RAFVR (1612603?).