Halifax NA611 at East Moor airfield.
14th January 1945 this 415 Squadron aircraft swung on take off from East Moor at 15.53hrs for an operational flight to bomb the Grevonbrioch marshalling yards. It crashed into trees at the edge of East Moor airfield and caught fire. The crew survived although some suffered burns.
Pilot - F/Sgt Edward Frank Sirtonski RCAF (R/196127). Injured.
Flight Engineer - Sgt Desmond L Broughton RAFVR (1896965). Injured.
Navigator - F/Sgt Ian McKeen Campbell RCAF (R/169282). Suffered burns.
Bomb Aimer - F/O G T Abel RCAF (J/40416).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Frank Fasang RCAF (R/76339). Injured.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Earl H Engman RCAF (R/266738). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt William Dekur RCAF (R/275348). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt E L Gates RCAF (R/277733).
This photograph is said elsewhere to show the damage to Halifax NP721 after it's crash at East Moor but with trees in the photograph it is clearly at the edge of the airfield and not in the middle of the airfield where NP721 blew up. I would add a suggestion that this photograph is infact Halifax NA611 after it's mishap in January 1945 as detailed above. I could be wrong!
Halifax NA611 was built to contract ACFT/891 by Fairey Aviation Ltd at Stockport and was received by 45 MU on 1st August 1944. It was taken on charge by 420 Squadron at Tholthorpe on 8th August 1944 but as 420 Squadron were not up to strength it was immediately transferred to 415 Squadron at East Moor on 12th August 1944 to fill a gap there. It sustained flak damage on 15th August 1944 that saw a Cat.A/FB damage assessment. After a repair on site it was again damaged by flak on 13th September 1944, Cat.Ac/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired at East Moor. It was written off in an accident, with Cat.E2/Burnt damage recorded, on 14th January 1945 when it crashed on take off at East Moor for an operational flight to bomb Grevonbrioch marshalling yards. The aircraft was struck off charge on 19th January 1945.