On the night of 2nd / 3rd August 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron Halifax were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Hamburg and had taken off from Snaith at 00.01hrs.
The aircraft was struck by lightning after releasing their bombs which rendered the guns in the front of the aircraft unservicable. The aircraft was also approached by two Me109's but they did not attack the Halifax. The crew landed safely at Snaith at 05.09hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Stanley Arthur Durrant RAFVR (1287908).
Navigator - Sgt Arthur Robert Jordan RAFVR (1323401).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt C F Packham RAFVR (1320596).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt W G Hart RAFVR (1079568).
Flight Engineer - Sgt W G Kingham RAFVR (1333293).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Coulthard RAAF (421573).
Air Gunner - Sgt Lindsay George Meares RAAF (410286).
Stanley Durrant received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 11th September 1943 (161070) and later to F/O on 11th March 1944 and F/Lt on 11th September 1945. He remained in the RAF after WW2 rising to S/Ldr until retiring on 13th January 1972.
Arthur Jordan received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 11th September 1943 (161240) and later to F/O on 11th March 1944 and F/Lt on 11th September 1945. He remained in the RAF until 26th September 1966 retiring in the rank of S/Ldr.
The first five members of the crew listed above were posted to 35 Squadron PFF on 16th September 1943. All were flying together on 22nd October 1943 in Halifax HR926 when the aircraft was badly damaged by flak on Ops to Kassel. All survived but became PoWs. Their two air gunners (not Coulthard and Meares who remained at 51 Squadron) were killed.
Lindsay Meares was born in Malvern, Victoria, Australia on 12th October 1912 and enlisted for RAAF service in Melbourne.
He was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944
Jack Coulthard was born in September 1921 in Durham but emigrated to Australia well before WW2. He enlisted for RAAF service in Sydney, New South Wales.
On the night of 8th / 9th October 1943 he (and F/Sgt Meares) was flying in Halifax HR949 on Ops to Hannover when the aircraft was attacked by an enemy aircraft, the aircraft was raked by cannon fire and sustained serious damage across the whole aircraft. F/Sgt Coulthard sustained serious injuries and the crew jettisoned the bomb load and returned to base. He survived but must have been very seriously injured. He died in May 2012.