Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 8:17 am Post subject: A Tale Of Halifax Bomber.
This is a true tale about a Halifax Bomber that had been on quite a few raids during WW2.
After the war these planes were put to service by helping to train glider pilots.
During 1947 the circular engined Hailfax was sent to North Luffenham airfield where my hubby used to be a fitter on the engines.
The Halifax Bomber was a replacement sent to teach Glider Pilots.
Before it was accepted it had to go on a test flight to make sure that it was safe to tow the gliders.
On its first test flight it crashed through a fault in the control column.
It turned right over on to its back and crashed in a ploughed field at the end of the drome.
There was one big cloud of dust that scared the living daylights out of the ground crew.
My hubby said everyone was terrified of what they would find but the pilot, engineer and the radio operator all climbed out dusting themselves down and getting the dust out of their eyes.
Everyone was relieved and pleased to see all three climb out unhurt but to this day my hubby says he will never know how they got out alive.
My hubby was NOT one of those that had serviced this aircraft but there was a big enquiry as to what happened.
From what he could gather a bolt at the bottom of the control column had snapped.
Hubby said out of the Halifax and the Lancaster he preferred the Halifax because you could walk down the middle of it but with the Lancaster you had to crawl on your hands and knees to service them.
After his stint at North Luffenham my hubby was sent to Cottesmore to work on Mosquitoes.
He also worked on the first Meteor.
Hubby said he enjoyed his time in the National Service and only wished it was brought back again to straighten some of the yobs out of today.
Out of the wreck of the Halifax my hubby had a piece of perspex that was from the windscreen and he made this brooch for me below. Its now nearly 60 years since he first gave it to me.
_________________ If you cant say something nice then dont say anything at all.
Thank you for shareing that story with us, Maywalk. I enjoyed reading it. Tell your hubby, I fully agree with him. _________________ http://sewardchronicles.ning.com/
Whar a great story.Maywalk,
and how special that brooch must be.
Thanks for sharing that with us. _________________ The purpose of life is a life of purpose
YES the brooch is very special to me.
Its not worth anything excepting sentimental value for the love that was put into it to make it.
PLUS it is a piece of WW2 history. _________________ If you cant say something nice then dont say anything at all.
What an excellent story Maywalk, the Halifax is an oft overlooked bomber when people talk of WW2. As an aside, my first posting when I finished basic training was to North Luffenham, a lovely little camp with a couple of good pubs close by, my fav was the Nag & Bag (Horse & Panniers) in South Luffenham. The next posting I got had a Meteor as gate guardian !
That was certainly a lucky escape for the crew. I spent 4 years at Cottesmore from 1982. By this time, Cottesmore was the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment, with aircraft and crews from Britain, Germany and Italy. Talk about going full circle!! _________________
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