Halifax NA278 at Breighton airfield.
During the morning of 21st March 1945 this 78 Squadron aircraft was to have been flown on a practice bombing exercise that would have seen the crew to carry and drop a number of 16lb practice bombs. At 10.15hrs ground crew were removing safety pins from the practice bombs just prior to the crew taxying the aircraft for take off. While the safety pins were being removed from the bombs, one bomb fell from the rack and onto the ground causing it to explode. Three members of ground crew sustained injuries. The 78 Squadron orb does not mention the incident. I may need to view the Breighton station record book to obtain the three names of those injured and failing that an AIR81 / P4Cas Casualty File.
Pilot - F/Sgt Kent Ryder Hughes RAF (43287).
Three members of ground crew - Names unknown. Injured.