ICM: That'll be
Halifax II HX181: ZA-K Op: Leverkusen Took off 1622 Melbourne. Crashed 2135 onto a hangar at Tangmere airfield, Sussex.
1015613 F/Sgt (Pilot) Benjamin HOLDSWORTH RAFVR +
578363 Sgt (Flt. Eng.)Raymond James Harry STEEL RAF +
1390492 Sgt (Nav./B) Clive TELFER RAFVR +
1397140 Sgt (Air Bomb.) Albert James OUDINOT RAFVR +
1119224 Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Robert Vernon DOWNS RAFVR +
AUS421975 F/Sgt (Air Gnr.) John HARPER RAAF +
1338514 Sgt (Air Gnr.) Charles Edward SMITH RAFVR +
Typhoon EK141 - OV-X - No.197 Sqn. DBF in hangar Tangmere - 20-11-1943
Typhoon JP501 - SA-R - No.486 Sqn. DBF in hangar Tangmere - 20-11-1943
Typhoon JP680 - OV-S - No.197 Sqn. DBF in hangar Tangmere - 20-11-1943
Typhoon JP787 - OV-K - No.197 Sqn. DBF in hangar Tangmere - 20-11-1943
Typhoon JP853 - SA-K - No.486 Sqn. DBF in hangar Tangmere - 20-11-1943
Typhoon JP970 - OV-L - No.197 Sqn. DBF in hangar Tangmere - 20-11-1943
See: The Typhoon & Tempest Story. Thomas,Chris & Christopher Shores. London:Arms & Armour Press,1988. pp.200 & 218.
Note: These six Typhoons, plus three Spitfires and two Lysanders, were destroyed when a 10 Squadron Halifax II HX181, crashed into the servicing hangar while attempting to land at Tangmere. Despite valiant efforts by the station personnel, the crew perished.
culled from BCL and also relatives have added comments on this website:
Halifax Accident, Tangmere, 19 November 1943 - Page 2
Question: Would an Op to Leverkusen have been completed in 5 hours? The eyewitness account of the crash seems to indicate that whoever was flying had great difficulty in lining up for landing, suggesting that the pilot was either wounded or someone else less skilled at the controls.
Presumably someone has also looked at the Australian files for Harper?
In Aly's photo on the 10 Sqdn website, the top row are the flight crew and ground crew kneeling. Holdsworth appears to be the middle, with "wings" whereas the others have just the one "trade" wing. it would make sense to accord the pilot the prestige of centre spot, too.
https://www.10sqnass.co.uk/research-...ers-posts.html
Medal group for one of the crew described here
Aircrew europe grouping