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Tempsford Halifax DK232

Royal Air Force Badge

5th November 1943 Tempsford.

F/Lt S.N. Gray - Pilot
Sgt Betts - Dispatcher
F/Sgt P.A. Fry - Flight Engineer
Sgt D.G. Patterson - Air Bomber
P/O Pearse - Gunner
P/O Shine - Wireless Op
F/O L.H. Thomas - Navigator
F/Lt Hammond - 2 Navigator

Handley Page Halifax.

The aircraft started the take off at 2052 on OPERATION SACRISTAN 5 but swung off the runway. The take-off continued until a wheel ran over a sodium flare which led to the undercarriage collapsing. Halifax Mk V DK232 MA-T was written off. There were no serious injuries reported. Pilot Officer Pearse was slightly injured.

Details obtained from Aircraft lost on Allied Force’s Special Duty Operations & Associated Roll of Honour page 133.

Pilot Flight Lieutenant Gray and some of this crew survived another crash at Tangham Forest, having taken off from Tempsford on 17th December, 1943, see this page, and page 149 on Allied Force’s Special Duty Operations & Associated Roll of Honour.

Gunner Pearse's medals and a lot of his war time service details can be viewed on this web page.