Halifax W1215 damaged by night-fighters, returned to East Moor airfield.

On the 26th July 1942 this Halifax had bombed Hamburg and was attacked by a Fw190 nightfighter and another three enemy aircraft. It sustained damage to the port outer engine, which had to be feathered. The rear turret was also smashed by cannon fire. The pilot was able to make a safe return to East Moor and made a three engined landing in the eary hours of the 27th July. Cat.A(c)/FA damaged was declared. There were no casualties reported.

Pilot - P/O Clive H Phillips RAAF (402537), of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia. Uninjured.

Navigator - P/O Leslie V Harvey RAAF (400239), uninjured.

Flight Engineer - Sgt D H Furness RAF (571405), uninjured.

Bomb Aimer - Sgt E G Price RCAF (R/84592), uninjured.

Wireless Operator - Sgt W A Thompson RAF (1310697), uninjured.

Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt J A Byrne RAF (954513), uninjured.

Rear Gunner - P/O John W P Curtis RAFVR (116949), uninjured.

Halifax W1215 was built to contract B982938/39 by E.E.C. Ltd at Salmesbury and delivered directly to 158 Squadron at East Moor during the second week of July 1942. Cat.A(c)/FB was recorded after the incident detailed above and it was repaired on site and was back in service by 5th August 1942. It was lost (Cat.E(m)) when it failed to return from Ops to Bochum on 6th August 1942 with the same crew as listed above. The aircraft had been damaged by a night fighter injuring one of the crew. It was thought that the pilot, P/O Phillips, gave his life trying to save that of his fellow airman, P/O J E Marshall, who had been badly wounded and could not bale out. The rest of the crew baled out and the pilot was attempting a landing but the aircraft broke up before this was being done. Both men were killed. Another case of the War's unsung hero's.

P/O Phillips was twenty seven years old. Sgt Furness, Sgt Byrne, Sgt Thompson and P/O Harvey became PoW's whilst Sgt Price evaded capture.

Following P/O Harvey's capture he was later taken to Stalag Luft III where he was held for two and a half years. He was at the Camp during the "Great Escape" and the murder of 53 escapees. He is believed to have been able to return home to his native Australia in 1946 after his liberation.

John Curtis received his commission to P/O on probation (emergency) on 16th February 1942, rising to F/O (war subs) on 1st October 1942 and F/Lt (war subs) on 16th February 1944. He was awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron, Gazetted on 12th January 1943 and Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1946 with a huge number of other airforce personnel.