The crew of a Handley Page Halifax IIIb of 640 Squadron prepare for a night bombing mission into occupied Europe on a Summer evening in 1944. Contemporary of the Avro Lancaster, the Halifax carried out over 80,000 sorties during WWII.

The squadron was based at Leconfield in Yorkshire, UK. Overhead, Halifaxes of 346 'Guyenne' Squadron head for their target having taken off from nearby Elvington.