The Midlands museum has helped a fellow organisation move some poignant exhibits to an appropriate new home
Following the recent donation of a Merlin engine by Fenland Aviation Museum (FAM) to Northamptonshire’s Sywell Aviation Museum, the latter agreed to help repatriate some other items from the FAM collection to a fitting home - Yorkshire Air Museum.
Among the items on the move to Elvington are relics from Handley Page Halifax DT581 of 51 Squadron which crashed at Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire on January 21/22, 1943, with the loss of two crew. Based at Snaith at the time, the Halifax was a former 77 Squadron machine formerly at Elvington. The remains included a bomb-bay boor - although an English Electric-built example, the door had Handley Page makers stamps, meaning that sometime in the mere 47 hours it flew it’s likely they were replaced due to damage. Also included was a Gouge wing flap guide in very good condition. Detective work by YAM has revealed the latter in fact came not from a Halifax but an unknown Short Stirling. The Stirling Project has been contacted with a view to passing it on to them in due course.
![Imogen Smith hands Sgt Crisp’s logbook to Yorkshire Air Museum’s Graham Buckle](https://fullfatthings-keyaero.b-cdn.net/sites/keyaero/files/styles/article_body/public/woodwing/2022-12/160132.jpeg?itok=6jzNDURI)
The most poignant item being moved relates to both Elvington and 77 Squadron. On the evening of September 21/22, 1943, Sgt Claud Eric Crisp took off from Elvington as the rear gunner in Halifax JB850 on a sortie to Hanover. Either hit by flak or shot down by a night-fighter, the aircraft crashed around seven miles west of Bremen at Delmenhorst, Wildenhausen. All the crew were killed. 20-year-old Eric’s logbook somehow found its way to FAM many years ago – it has now been returned to his home base nearly 80 years after Eric took off from there for the last time.
![An image showing the final entry in Sgt Crisp’s logbook](https://fullfatthings-keyaero.b-cdn.net/sites/keyaero/files/styles/article_body/public/woodwing/2022-12/160131.jpeg?itok=_aOGjo9a)
The item was handed over to YAM’s Graham Buckle by Edward and Imogen Smith whose grandparents live in Elvington and whose great-grandfather flew as a rear gunner with 617 Squadron. The logbook was briefly placed in the rear turret of YAM’s Halifax for the first time since 1943 as a mark of respect. WITH THANKS TO BEN BROWN
![The logbook was temporarily placed in the rear turret of Elvington’s Halifax as a mark of respect](https://fullfatthings-keyaero.b-cdn.net/sites/keyaero/files/styles/article_body/public/woodwing/2022-12/160134.jpeg?itok=XPgk0vHB)