Halifax W1163 at Marston Moor airfield.

On 25th June 1942 this aircraft's tail wheel broke off on landing at Marston Moor airfield. 1652 HCU were asked to supply aircraft and crews for Ops to Bremen for the third 1,000 Bomber Raid on the night of 25/26th June 1942 and the crew had been tasked with this. The aircraft was later repaired but crashed at Marston Moor on 3rd September 1942 (detailed on this website). My thanks to air historian and author Mr Brian Lunn for his assistance in researching 1652 HCU incidents.

Pilot - S/Ldr Robert A Norman RAAF (400102), of Mildura, Victoria, Australia.

Second Pilot - P/O Douglas B McLeod RAAF (407905), of Glenelg, Adelaide, South Australia.

Navigator - P/O A D L Lamont RNZAF (404381)

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt James F Long RCAF (R/77051)

Bomb Aimer - Sgt William E "Eric" Mander RCAF (R/56422), of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Flight Engineer - Sgt William A Lawson RAF(Aux) (804306), of Edgware, London.

Mid Upper Gunner - F/Sgt A D Heard

Rear Gunner - Sgt Murray L McCarthy RCAF, of St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada.

Many of those named above were nearing the end of their conversion training and were posted to 102 Squadron soon after this date. On 9th/10th August 1942 McLeod, Lamont, Long and McCarthy were all flying in Halifax BB211 on Ops to Osnabruck when their aircraft was hit by flak and crashed near Elbergen, Lingen-Ems. Two of the then crew were killed (including P/O McCarthy) and five survived but became PoW's.

Murray McCarthy had received his commission soon after 24th June 1942, as previously stated, he was killed on 10th August 1942 flying in Halifax BB211 and was initially buried in Lingen-Ems but is now buried in Reichwald Forest War Cemetery. He was twenty eight years old.

Douglas Burton was born on 26th February 1916 in Glenelg, South Australia. He enlisted in Adelaide.

James Long later escaped captivity from Mahrisch work camp in May 1945

William Eric Mander was born 24th July 1920 and was the son of William John and Mary Jane Mander. He was known by his second name of Eric probably because his father had the same first name. His mother was born in Scotland but moved to Canada in 1913 with her family but her brother remained in Scotland and later was elected as M.P. for West Renfrew. Eric enlisted into the RCAF in September 1940 and initially trained as a wireless operator. He went overseas in August 1941 and would re-train as a bomb aimer to fly in Halifax's. F/Sgt Mander was also posted to 102 Squadron soon after this incident, he was sadly killed on 27th July 1942 flying on Ops to Hamburg in Halifax W1153. He is buried in Delfzijl General Cemetery, Holland, he was twenty two years old.

Sgt Lawson was sadly killed on 17th August 1942 flying in Halifax L9609 when the aircraft crashed near Thirsk, Yorkshire (an incident detailed on this website). He was twenty two years old and is buried in Little Stanmore Churchyard, Middlesex.
Robert Norman was born on 3rd July 1916 in Australia. He worked in a bank for nine years before enlisting into the RAAF on 27th May 1940. Having gained his Wings on 24th December 1940 he was posted to the UK and after training to fly bombers was posted to 35 Squadron, arriving on 18th April 1941 but soon left and was posted to 58 Squadron on 24th April 1941. He returned to 35 Squadron on 25th July 1941 and received his commission on 9th August 1941, and was posted to 1652 HCU on 16th November 1941. He rose to F/O on 9th February 1942 and F/Lt on 9th August 1943. As Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DFC for service with 35 Squadron in May 1943, the citation reads..

"S/Ldr Norman is a courageous and skilful captain of aircraft, who throughout his many operational sorties has shown outstanding keenness and determination."

This DFC was almost certainly as a result of completing a Tour with 35 Squadron, he had taken the rank as Acting W/C much earlier than this on 2nd March 1943 when he was posted to command 1663 HCU. On 8th September 1943 he was posted to command 460 Squadron but this was short lived as on 8th October 1943, on his first operational flight of his second Tour, he was the pilot of Lancaster EE202 on Ops to Hannover when the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter south of Hannover. The aircraft broke up in the process of the crew getting clear of the aircraft and he landed unconsious. He was taken prisoner by the German police the following day but suffered head injuries in the process of getting out of the aircraft. and saw out the War as a PoW spending 18 months in Stalag Luft III at Sagan. He may have been awarded the DSO but no details of this are in his service records which would cast doubt on this award but he was certainly Mentioned in Despatches on 28th November 1944. He was discharged on 26th May 1947.