Halifax at East Moor airfield.

On the 6th of August 1944 this Halifax was landing following a training flight, the aircraft touched down too far along the runway to be able to stop in time and the aircraft ran off the end of the runway, through a fence and into the ditch at the Strensall Lane end of the airfield at 16.31 hrs. The aircraft suffered extensive damage though in time it was repaired and flew again. The ditch at this end of the airfield claimed a number of aircraft. The pilot named was the aircrafts regular pilot around this era and whilst it has to be fully confirmed it is assumed that he was the pilot.

This aircraft was built to contract 1688/C4/C by Handley Page at Radlett and delivered to 426 Sqdn at Linton-on-Ouse on 28th July 1944 by mistake, this unit only operating Halifax B.III's, so it was immediately transferred to 432 Sqdn at East Moor, arriving on 30th July 1944. The aircraft suffered damage recorded as Cat A(c)/FA on 6th August 1944 (detailed above). It was repaired on site and the repair was completed by 27th August 1944. It was again damaged, this time suffering flak damage on 14th October 1944 during a day-light attack on Duisburg, it sustained flak damage to the port wing, holing two fuel tanks and an oil tank. It returned safely to East Moor and was repaired on site with repair being completed by 16th November 1944. It was destroyed not long after with Cat. E/Burnt damage recorded on 5th December 1944 when swung out of control on take off for Ops to Soest and crashed, caught fire and later exploded. NP721 commenced Ops on 1st August 1944 and was setting off on it's 21st op when it exploded.

Pilot - F/Lt D Von Laufer