
Handley Page Halifax II - RAF Museum, Hendon, London, UK
N 51° 35.845 W 000° 14.263
30U E 691311 N 5719878
This Handley Page Halifax II is located in the "Bomber Hall" at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. The aircraft dates from 1942. The plane was shot down during WWII and discovered in a lake in 1971 from whence it was recovered and displayed here.
Waymark Code: WMNJVX
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/25/2015
Views: 2
The RAF Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with admission being free. Car parking is available but there is a charge. The nearest underground station is Colindale about a 10-15 minute walk away or a number 303 bus passes both the tube station and museum. The co-ordinates posted are for the entrance to the "Milestones of Flight" hall/exhibition entrance.
The RAF Museum's website tells us about the Handley Page Halifax II:
The Halifax shared with the Lancaster the major burden of Bomber Command's night bombing campaign against Nazi Germany but unlike the Lancaster, which only served as a bomber during the war, the Halifax was used extensively on other duties including glider-tug, agent dropping transport and general reconnaissance aircraft in Coastal Command.
It was the second British four-engined bomber to enter service in World War Two. Nevertheless the first to bomb Germany when one took part in a raid on Hamburg on the night of 12-13 March 1941. Due to mounting losses on Bomber Command operations over Germany Halifax bombers were restricted to less hazardous targets from September 1943.
However, between 1941 and 1945 the Halifax made over 75000 bombing sorties and dropped 227610 tons (231300 tonnes) of bombs; more than a quarter of all bombs dropped on Germany by the Royal Air Force.
The Halifax was in the process of being replaced as a front line bomber in 1945 but it continued in service with Coastal and Transport Commands after the war. The last operational flight was made by a Coastal Command Halifax in March 1952 while operating from Gibraltar.
A history of this aircraft can be seen here.