Date:	Friday 25 January 1946
Time:	day
Type:	Handley Page Halifax Mk III
Owner/operator:	298 Sqn RAF
Registration:	PN261
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	RAF Digri, Kadra, Salbani, Bengal (India at the time) -   Pakistan
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Digri, Salbani, Bengal, India
Destination airport:	RAF Digri, Salbani, Bengal, India

Narrative:
Handley Page Halifax Mk.III PN261, 298 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) 25 January 1946: Port Tyre burst on take-off at RAF Digri, Kadra, Salbani, Bengal (India at the time). On returning to land back at RAF Digri, the port undercarrriage failed, and a fire broke out in the port wing, which spread to the port flaps.

The crew of four - Warrant Officer Ashton RAF (Pilot) and Warrant Officer Morren RAF (navigator), plus two other crew (names not yet ascertained) - were uninjured.

In July 1945, 298 Squadron moved to Raipur, British India, to provide transport support to the Army. In March 1946 the squadron was involved in rice-dropping sorties from Meiktila, Burma to the starving population in the jungle areas. The squadron disbanded at Mauripur, Sindh, British India (Now Pakistan Air Force Base Masroor) on 31 December 1946.

Currently an abandoned Military Airfield. RAF Digri was Built in 1942 and was in use until 1945. It served in World War II. The allied forces had anticipated the Japanese onslaught from the northeast and a string of airfields were set up in the area. These included those at Jharsuguda, Amarda Road, Charbatia, Hijli, Dudhkundi, Digri, Salua, Chakulia, Kalaikunda and Bishnupur. Amarda Road had one of the longest runways in the world. The runway still exists. Hundreds of aircraft were stationed at these airfields and the entire operations in Burma and beyond were controlled from there. Nearby cities: Kadra. Location at approximate Coordinates: 22°46'56"N, 87°21'59"E

1. Halley, James (1999). Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.32 ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Final Landings: A Summary of RAF Aircraft and Combat Losses 1946 to 1949 by Colin Cummings p.77
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
4. Aircraft Movement Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Halifax/PN261-PN388/mobile/index.html
5. 298 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1-8-42 to 31-12-46: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/1649 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2504291
6. https://www.midnapore.in/arifield/digri-airfield.html
7. http://wikimapia.org/2156727/Digri-Airfield
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._298_Squadron_RAF#Transport_in_British_India

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
21-Sep-2013 02:48	JINX	Added
18-May-2015 17:40	Lixon	Updated [Operator]
13-Jun-2021 22:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Jun-2021 22:32	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
25-Jun-2021 22:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Category]