Original British WWII Fragments from R.C.A.F. H.P.63 Halifax B.VII Bomber LW206 – Crashed 3 Sept. 1944 Original Items

Original Items: One-of-a-kind set. Here we have a very nice cased set of aircraft fragments, from Royal Canadian Air Force Halifax B.VII Serial number LW206. It unfortunately crashed shortly after takeoff in England, resulting in the deaths of four crew members, while three survived.

During WWII, air technology was unfortunately nowhere near as reliable as it is today. It had only been around 40 years since the Wright Brother’s first flight, and engine technology was not nearly as streamlined as today. Developing engine trouble was unfortunately not uncommon, and as in this case, can result in the loss of the entire plane if the situation is not quickly dealt with.

At the top inside this case is a picture of a Handley Page Halifax H.P.63 B.VII Bomber, though we do not believe it is the specific bomber that these crash fragments came from. Below this is the basic story regarding the crash:

Halifax BVII LW206 – Crashed Sep 3rd 1944

426 Squadron RCAF Linton-on Ouse, Yorkshire

Developed engine trouble enroute to bomb Volkel Airfield in Holland, went into a spin at 14,000 feet. Crashed with full bomb load at Pampisford, Cambridgeshire. The Navigator, Wireless Op, and Bomb Aimer parachuted safely out. The Flt Engineer, slipped out of his parachute and was killed. The Mid-Upper Gunner had his parachute catch on the tail wheel and was also killed. The Pilot and Rear Gunner were not able to vacate the aircraft and also perished.

Below this are the names of the 7 crew members, indicating their role, rank, and fate. They were mostly from the Royal Canadian Air Force, but some were from the British Royal Air Forces.

Underneath this are fragments recovered from the crash site, most of which are aluminum, though there is also what looks to be a cable of some sort. They are attached to the fabric backing inside. The case itself measures 14 3/8″H x 11 3/8″W x 2″, and has a clear plastic cover. The frame looks to be wood, though it could be composite or metal. The plastic cover does have some cracks and scratches. On the back of the case are some printed pages with more information.

A somewhat somber set of crash relics from an Allied bomber in WWII that never made it to the target. Ready to display.

The Handley Page Halifax is a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester.

The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry’s Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for “world-wide use.” The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax would emerge as capable four-engined strategic bombers, thousands of which would be built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.

On 25 October 1939, the Halifax performed its maiden flight, and it entered service with the RAF on 13 November 1940. It quickly became a major component of Bomber Command, performing routine strategic bombing missions against the Axis Powers, many of them at night. Arthur Harris, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Bomber Command, described the Halifax as inferior to the rival Lancaster, in part due to its inability to carry larger individual bombs such as the 4,000 pound “Cookie” blast bomb. Nevertheless, production of the Halifax continued until April 1945. During their service with Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew a total of 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs, while 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was also flown in large numbers by other Allied and Commonwealth nations, such as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Free French Air Force and Polish forces.

Various improved versions of the Halifax were introduced, incorporating more powerful engines, a revised defensive turret layout and increased payload. It remained in service with Bomber Command until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing. Additionally, specialised versions of the Halifax were developed for troop transport and paradrop operations. Following the end of the Second World War, the RAF quickly phased the Halifax out of service, after the type was succeeded in the strategic bombing role by the Avro Lincoln, an advanced derivative of the Lancaster. During the post-war years, the Halifax was operated by the Royal Egyptian Air Force, the French Air Force and the Royal Pakistan Air Force. The type also entered commercial service for a number of years, used mainly as a freighter. A dedicated civil transport variant, the Handley Page Halton, was also developed and entered airline service. 41 civil Halifax freighters were used during the Berlin Airlift. In 1961, the last remaining Halifax bombers were retired from operational use.