Halifax MZ623

Halifax MZ623

76 Squadron

MP-P

24/25 May 1944

Mission Aachen

“Serial range MZ617 – MZ660. 44 Halifax Mk.111. Part of a batch of 360 HP61 Halifax Mk.B111. MZ500-MZ544; MZ556- MZ604; MZ617-MZ660; MZ672-MZ717; MZ730-MZ775; MZ787-MZ831; MZ844- MZ883; MZ895-MZ939. Delivered by English Electric Co. (Salmesbury & Preston) between 24Apr44 and 11May44. MZ623 was one of two No.76 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this operation. See: MZ622. Airborne 2241 24May44 from Holme-on-Spalding Moor. Cause of loss Night Fighter (Oblt. Kaiser 1./NJG2). Crashed at Arendonk (Antwerpen),9 kmE of Turnhout. Near Arendonk . W/O F.Bishop PoW Sgt W.T.Mays PoW F/O T.H.Greer Inj F/S A.M.Rae Evd F/S W.Cliff PoW Sgt J.Danes PoW Sgt C.Cassidy PoW W/O F.Bishop was interned in Camp L7. PoW No.4, with Sgt C.Cassidy PoW No.9, F/S W.Cliff, PoW No.11, Sgt W.T.Mays, PoW No.37 and Sgt J.Danes PoW No.15. F/O T.H.Greer was confined in Hospital due injuries. No PoW No. ”

Part of the secret report from MI9

F/Sgt. Rae recalls

“I took off in a Halifax at 23.00 hrs on 23 May 44 (this must be 24 May 44) on a bombing mission. While over Antwerp we were attacked by fighters. I baled out and landed at Turnhout.”

The crashsite was almost empty,another group did some recovery on this site many years ago.But they forgot one very nice piece.The ground owner gave us permission to recover this big part.

At +- 40 cm deep a prop tip was found ,still with the yellow paint on it. Becaus of our experience with that other group (see ME737) . This time we tought it was best to get it out before they would take it away.

So now it is in safe hands in our collection and it will be used in the expositions