Halifax W7745 damaged by FLAK (returned to East Moor airfield).

On the 25th of June 1942 this Halifax took from East Moor for Ops to Bremen, it was hit by flak and the bomb release gear in the nose was damaged. The starboard outer engine was also damaged and the fuselage scarred. The aircraft made it back to base and landed at 05.27hrs where Cat A(c)/FA damage was declared immediately. The crew were not thought to have been injured.

Halifax W7745 was built to contract B73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd, at Radlett and delivered directly to 158 Sqdn at East Moor on 8th June 1942. Damage was recorded as Cat. A(c)/FB following the incident on 26th June 1942. It was repaired at East Moor and returned to service by 8th July 1942 and continued to be used by 158 Sqdn. It was recorded as Cat. E(m) on 11th September 1942 when it failed to return from Ops to Dusseldorf. It was thought to have crashed at sea and bodies of five of the eight on board were washed ashore on Holland and Belgium.

Pilot - W/C Peter Stevens DFC MiD RAF (37054), uninjured.

2nd Pilot - Sgt Leslie J W Beckman RAFVR (1382013), of Fulham, London. Uninjured.

FEng - Sgt V G Hope, (or Hop?), uninjured.

Nav - F/O Leonard J Fairbairn RNZAF (401492), of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. Uninjured.

AB - Sgt M A J Pierre, uninjured.

WOp/AG - Sgt Edwin C Evershed RAF (1360239), of Wandsworth. Uninjured.

Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Norman G E Perrett RAFVR (1164775), of Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. Uninjured.

Rear Gunner - Sgt C R Palm RAF (962992). Uninjured.

W/C Stevens was the first Commanding Officer of 158 Squadron and served in the role from 14th February 1942 to 7th October 1942 when he was posted to 10 OTU. Awarded a Short Service Commission as P/O on probation on 14th October 1935 and was posted to 57 Squadron. He was later graded as P/O and was posted to 39 Squadron in India in October 1936. The date he rose to F/O is not yet known but he later rose to F/Lt on 19th April 1939 and to S/Ldr (temp) on 1st July 1940. As Acting S/Ldr he was MiD on 25th October 1940 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished service during operations in Waziristan for the period 1st January 1939 to 31st December 1939" S/Ldr Peter Stevens was awarded the DFC for service with 11 Squadron on 7th March 1941 (the same date as Leonard Cheshire's DFC). He was also awarded the Greek DFC on 29th December 1942. He rose to W/Co (temporary) on 1st March 1942 and later transferred to the Reserve in 1944. He was promoted from W/Co (temp) to W/Co (war subs) on 9th August 1944. He remained in the Reserve after the War until reliquishing his commission on 16th April 1959, retaining the rank of Group Captain.
F/Sgt Beckman was killed on the 16th of September 1942 when Halifax W1222 crashed in Germany on Ops to Essen, he was only twenty years old and is buried in Reichwald Forest War Cemetery.
Sgt Perrett was killed on 23rd October 1942 when Halifax W7862 crashed into the English Channel on Ops to Genova, he was twenty two years old and as his body was never found he is commemerated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Evershed became a PoW on 1st August 1942 after Halifax W1190 was shot by flak on Ops to Dusseldorf and was ditched off Amsterdam. He was in the same crew on this flight as S/Ldr Hewitt (see previous flak listing on this website). He was born in 1912 and died in 1984.
Sgt Palm became a PoW on 20th September 1942 when control was lost over Saarbrucken in Halifax W7777, he and his pilot were thrown clear as the aircraft broke up in the air but the rest of his crew were all killed. (Halifax W7777 was also damaged by flak and appears on this website on 31st July 1942).
F/O Fairbairn was killed on 17th November 1942 when Halifax W7863 crashed in France on Ops to Turin, Italy. He was one of seven of this crew killed, while one became a PoW.
F/Lt Pierre held joint British and Belgian nationality. He was flying in Halifax DT594 on Ops to Cologne on 15th February 1943 when it was shot down. He evaded capture.