On a January afternoon 78 years ago, 17 aircraft thundered down the runway of RAF North Creake and headed off towards occupied Europe on a vital 'deception' mission to trick the German air defences.
One of them - with eight men on board, the oldest of them just 23 - was never heard from again.
The Halifax bomber, with the callsign A, simply vanished.
The operations book from RAF North Creake, between Fakenham and Wells-next-the-Sea, records: “171/’A’ is missing, nothing being heard of him after take-off”.
The story of this wartime mystery, and the fate of those on board, has been researched and highlighted by Nigel Morter and Claire Nugent, who live in the control tower of the former base and explore the history of the site.
"The crash was not known about for a long time after," Mr Morter said.
Aircraft A was one of the seven Halifaxes which flew from North Creake on January 6, 1945, along with 10 Stirlings.
They were from No 199 and No 171 Squadrons of No 100 Group.
Their mission was to deploy radar counter-measures over occupied Europe, to trick the Germans and to help conceal the true position of an Allied bomber attack.
The crews used radio transmitters in their planes, codenamed Mandrel, which could jam enemy early-warning radars.
They also dropped aluminium strips - known as chaff, or their codename Window - out of their aircraft to give false radar readings to the Germans, wrongly indicating the presence of large numbers of aircraft.
All took off, including a reserve aircraft which replaced another which experienced early problems.
The mission was completed successfully but without 171/A.
Its wreck was eventually discovered the following year, in eastern France near the village of Ambly, during post-war research into the location of missing aircraft.
All of the crew had died and their remains buried at Ambly.
But the circumstances of their final mission have never emerged.
The airmen were just eight of a total of 73 who were based at RAF North Creake and lost their lives during the Great War of 1939-45.
Mr Morter and Ms Nugent, who operate a bed and breakfast business from the North Creake control tower, have had a memorial installed for those who served at the airfield.
Home Safe, created by Andy Knighton, is on the B1105 on land designated by the Walsingham Estate and includes a Roll of Honour.
A separate memorial, erected by the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust, stands away from the road.
Lest we forget: the crew of mystery Halifax 171/A
- Flight Lieutenant G. Cox (Pilot) aged 23 from Watford, Hertfordshire.
- Flight Officer R. Maden (Navigator) aged 23 from Accrington, Lancashire
- Sergeant A.E. Meekings (Wireless Operator /Air Gunner) aged 20 from Leicester
- Flight Officer F.E.T. Davey (Special Wireless Operator) aged 23 from East Ham, Essex
- Warrant Officer A.C. Cheese (Air Bomber) aged 23 from Marylebone, London
- Warrant Officer C.D. Mison (Mid Upper Gunner) aged 22 from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Flight Sergeant C.D.C. Farlie (Air Gunner) aged 23 from Farnborough, Hampshire
- Sergeant S.R Fenwick (Flight Engineer) aged 20 from Giffnock, Renfrewshire
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