Halifax NP962 at Snaith airfield.
During the afternoon of 24th February 1945 this 51 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to attack Kamen. The aircraft took off from Snaith at 13.28hrs and the crew released their bomb load at 16.49hrs from 16,900 feet. They then landed back at Snaith at 19.16hrs. While the squadron records do not state any damage occurred and also give the aircraft as being Halifax NP963, an AM Form 1180 exists for NP962 that states the aircraft landed normally on return from Ops but then the tail wheel assembly gave way and collapsed. The aircraft had not yet had the strengthened tail wheel assembly bracket modification. The AM Form 78 for Halifax NP962 agrees with this being the damaged aircraft on this date.
Pilot - P/O James Charles Gardiner RAFVR (187435).
Navigator - F/Sgt "W" Lofthouse (or Frederick Charles Lofthouse RAFVR (918368)).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt Jack Horace Ward RAFVR (1468230).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt D H Hoskin RAFVR (1316936).
Flight Engineer - Sgt C Parry RAFVR (1850791).
Air Gunner - Sgt J A Hodgson.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Frank Leon Le Biham RAFVR (1392711).
James Gardiner and Frederick Lofthouse were both awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on the same date in September 1945.