Halifax RG501 at Full Sutton airfield.
Just after midnight on 19th March 1945 this 77 Squadron aircraft was to have been flown on an operational flight to bomb Witten. At 00.56hrs hours it was being taxied around the perimeter track at Full Sutton airfield to the end of the runway to await take off when the wheel left the perimeter track concrete and the undercarriage collapsed, possibly after running through a ditch. A fire broke out in the port inner engine which was later put out and although the crew escaped injury the aircraft was later assessed as beyond repair. This was one of two Halifaxes at Full SUtton that swung on take off for this operational order, the other was Halifax RG504 and although this second aircraft did not receive any substantial damage it blocked the runway preventing the final four aircraft was leaving the ground. RG504 was probably not damaged as it flew operationally the following day.
Pilot - F/O Basil Eric Marsh RAFVR (189887).
Flight Engineer - P/O F G Gibson.
Navigator - Sgt P L Kimber.
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt J Llewellyn.
Wireless Operator - F/Sgt A W Skinner.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt D A R Davies.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt R Duncanson.
This crew appear not have been together throughout their training. F/Sgt Llewellyn had earlier served with 76 Squadron before posting directly to 77 Squadron on 4th September 1944, while Marsh, Gibson, Kimber and Skinner were a H.C.U. crew posted to 77 Squadron in mid-September 1944. Davies and Duncanson appear to have been later replacement gunners.