the halifax
Handley Page produced the H.P.56 design to meet Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a twin-engine medium bomber.
In July 1937, Handley Page was told to redesign the HP.56 for four engines and after assessment of a mock-up in late 1937, construction of the two prototypes of the new HP 57 began in March 1938. In total, 6,178 were built, the last aircraft being delivered in April 1945.
By the end of the war in 1945, RAF Bomber Command Halifaxes had flown 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs. A total of 1,833 aircraft were lost.
The HP57 became the Halifax on its entry into service. The RAF placed their first order for 100 Mk.I Halifaxes in January 1938 because the design looked so promising. The maiden flight of the Halifax took place on 25 October 1939 from RAF Bicester.
The Halifax entered service with No. 35 Squadron RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in November 1940; its first operational raid was against Le Havre on the night of 11–12 March 1941.
The Mk.I had a 22 ft (6.7 m) long bomb bay as well as six bomb cells in the wings, enabling it to carry 13,000 lb (5,900 kg) of bombs.
Early Halifaxes had a reputation for high loss rates, partly due to a limited maximum altitude compared to the Lancaster. This changed significantly with the introduction of the Mark III fitted with the more powerful Bristol Hercules radial engines which closed the gap of the operational ceiling to the Lancaster and increased the cruising speed. Halifaxes also had better survival rates for the crew if shot down than Lancasters due to better placement of the escape hatches.
However, the biggest flaw in the Halifax relative to the “blast and fire” bombing strategy of Bomber Command was that its segregated bomb bays meant that it could not carry the 1800kg and larger variants of the "Cookie" blast bomb. It was therefore increasingly phased out of bombing raids and many were converted for duties such as coastal reconnaissance and glider towing.
After the war, a few Halifaxes were converted for freighter use or as passenger transports including taking part in the 1949 Berlin airlift. However, by 1960, the Halifax had flown its last flight and no flying examples survive.
Halifax LV771 was manufactured at Radlett in late 1943 and was one of a batch delivered to 158 Squadron at Lissett on the 2nd January 1944.
LV771 was named Rosie Galapagos*, possibly by its first crew but the reason behind the name is not known. Initially, the aircraft was given the Squadron letters NP and the aircraft letter R. Rosie Galapagos flew 30 raids and then had to be repaired after damage. It was then given the aircraft letter N, completing 5 mission before its aircraft letter was changed to NP-N completing just one mission before its final renaming as NP-Y.
NP-Y flew a further 12 missions. Flying Officer Carrall and his crew took it up for their first mission and NP-Y’s fateful 13th mission on the night of 4th November 1944, the 49th mission of this aircraft, an unusually high number when the average number of operations completed by an aircraft was just 14.
NP-Y, LV771 was the only aircraft from 158 Squadron lost that night.
Update May 2015
We have recently been contacted by the grandson of Pilot Officer Gerald Leonard, DFC, who flew 27 flights in Rosie Galapagos before the plan was shot down.
*The photographs provided by his family show that the plane's name was in fact "Rosi Gallapagous".
We hope to update this page shortly with more information. Grateful thanks to the family of Pilot Officer Gerald Leonard for the use of these amazing photos.
In July 1937, Handley Page was told to redesign the HP.56 for four engines and after assessment of a mock-up in late 1937, construction of the two prototypes of the new HP 57 began in March 1938. In total, 6,178 were built, the last aircraft being delivered in April 1945.
By the end of the war in 1945, RAF Bomber Command Halifaxes had flown 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs. A total of 1,833 aircraft were lost.
The HP57 became the Halifax on its entry into service. The RAF placed their first order for 100 Mk.I Halifaxes in January 1938 because the design looked so promising. The maiden flight of the Halifax took place on 25 October 1939 from RAF Bicester.
The Halifax entered service with No. 35 Squadron RAF at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in November 1940; its first operational raid was against Le Havre on the night of 11–12 March 1941.
The Mk.I had a 22 ft (6.7 m) long bomb bay as well as six bomb cells in the wings, enabling it to carry 13,000 lb (5,900 kg) of bombs.
Early Halifaxes had a reputation for high loss rates, partly due to a limited maximum altitude compared to the Lancaster. This changed significantly with the introduction of the Mark III fitted with the more powerful Bristol Hercules radial engines which closed the gap of the operational ceiling to the Lancaster and increased the cruising speed. Halifaxes also had better survival rates for the crew if shot down than Lancasters due to better placement of the escape hatches.
However, the biggest flaw in the Halifax relative to the “blast and fire” bombing strategy of Bomber Command was that its segregated bomb bays meant that it could not carry the 1800kg and larger variants of the "Cookie" blast bomb. It was therefore increasingly phased out of bombing raids and many were converted for duties such as coastal reconnaissance and glider towing.
After the war, a few Halifaxes were converted for freighter use or as passenger transports including taking part in the 1949 Berlin airlift. However, by 1960, the Halifax had flown its last flight and no flying examples survive.
Halifax LV771 was manufactured at Radlett in late 1943 and was one of a batch delivered to 158 Squadron at Lissett on the 2nd January 1944.
LV771 was named Rosie Galapagos*, possibly by its first crew but the reason behind the name is not known. Initially, the aircraft was given the Squadron letters NP and the aircraft letter R. Rosie Galapagos flew 30 raids and then had to be repaired after damage. It was then given the aircraft letter N, completing 5 mission before its aircraft letter was changed to NP-N completing just one mission before its final renaming as NP-Y.
NP-Y flew a further 12 missions. Flying Officer Carrall and his crew took it up for their first mission and NP-Y’s fateful 13th mission on the night of 4th November 1944, the 49th mission of this aircraft, an unusually high number when the average number of operations completed by an aircraft was just 14.
NP-Y, LV771 was the only aircraft from 158 Squadron lost that night.
Update May 2015
We have recently been contacted by the grandson of Pilot Officer Gerald Leonard, DFC, who flew 27 flights in Rosie Galapagos before the plan was shot down.
*The photographs provided by his family show that the plane's name was in fact "Rosi Gallapagous".
We hope to update this page shortly with more information. Grateful thanks to the family of Pilot Officer Gerald Leonard for the use of these amazing photos.