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| Date: | Sunday 3 October 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 434 (Bluenose) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | LK638 |
| MSN: | IP-V |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Grossen-Heidorn 3 km NW of Wunstorf -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Tholthorpe |
Toof off at 18h51 for a bombing mission to Kassel Germany. It was hit by flak and set afire, the pilot ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft, 4 of which did successfully before the Halifax entered a spin and exploded in mid air near Hanover. The surviving crew members reported the aircraft probably entered the spin when the pilot let go of the controls to abandon the doomed aircraft.
Sources:
The National Archives UK
Archives Canada
RCAF Historical microfilms
CASPIR
Veterans Affairs Canada
RCAF Losses 1943
https://aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=dk261&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exactl
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=LK638
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Oct-2025 06:06 | tachel | Added |
| 11-Oct-2025 13:40 | tachel | Updated [Total fatalities, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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