Halifax LW615 damaged by flak, returned to East Moor airfield.
On the night of 22nd / 23rd April 1944 this 432 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Dusseldorf and took off from East Moor at 22,40hrs. The crew released their bomb load from 20,000 feet at 04.07hrs. While over the target a flak burst close to the aircraft caused minor damage with a piece of flak passed through the aircraft from below, entering the fuselage, passing through the cockpit in front of the pilot and exiting through the perspex. The navigator was also slighly injured. Despite the damage the pilot was able to make a safe return to East Moor airfield and landed at 04.07hrs. The flight engineer of this aircraft published his flying career on his own website prior to 2011 though it later went off-line in 2011. With reference to this flak incident he stated.. "Back to Happy Valley, the flak was heavy. Dusseldorf was a very serious affair, bits of red hot flak flew about inside the 'plane as the shells burst, our navigator got hit but fortunately right on the torch in his May West (flotation vest), made him grunt a bit but he was ok to get us home again. I had to check all manner of bits that got damaged, seem to remember the fuel control levers, about ten of them got damaged and it was a nightmare of a lottery which bit of frayed wire controlled which tank, but guess I must have done the right thing because we got home!! Just remember all this is being done in more or less pitch black darkness with the "driver" dodging flak bursts and weaving about for the gunners, none of it calculated to appeal to the faint hearted!! But I wanted to get home as well and could have been on a promise from my latest girlfriend, what more incentive could a guy have? Over Dusseldorf we were hit by flack. We returned safely. This was a full point towards our thirty needed."
Pilot - P/O Leslie Richard Lauzon RCAF (J/19886).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Reginald J Miles RAFVR (575931).
Navigator - WO1 Walter Hodder RCAF (R/104153). Slightly injured.
Bomb Aimer - WO2 Gordon L Wallis RCAF (R/155734).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Joseph E Olivier RCAF (R/130351).
Air Gunner - Sgt Christopher Christoff RCAF (R/200321).
Air Gunner - Sgt J W Beattie RCAF (R/204582).
Leslie Lauzon and his crew failed to return from Ops to Cambrai on 13th June 1944 when Halifax LW616 was struck by flak. The mid upper gunner's parachute opened in the aircraft and the pilot saw little option but to try save his gunners life by landing the aircraft. Both men survived and for these actions P/O Lauzon was later awarded the DFC after the War. In the months before the end of the war however, Lauzon, Cakebread, Wallis, Olivier and Beattie all were captured and become PoW's. WO1 Hodder and Sgt Christoff evaded capture. The citation for P/O Lauzon's DFC adds more details to the events of this night, it reads.. "Flying Officer Lauzon has proved himself to be a very gallant pilot and captain of aircraft. In June 1944 his aircraft was detailed for an attack against Cambrai. On the return flight his bomber was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and fire broke out. Flying Officer Lauzon ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft by parachute. All the members did except the mid-upper gunner whose parachute accidentally opened in the aircraft. Flying Officer Lauzon told the gunner to try and control the fire but it was impossible. He then offered the gunner his parachute which was refused without hesitation. Flying Officer Lauzon attempted an emergency landing. He successfully accomplished this extremely difficult feat and he and the gunner escaped from the fiercely burning aircraft uninjured. Flying Officer Lauzon's magnificent courage, exceptional skill and devotion to duty are worthy of the highest praise."
There was a mix-up with the records at East Moor as to who was the flight engineer in this aircraft however and Reg Miles' family were unfortunately sent a telegram stating that he was missing. Still recovering at East Moor he was spotted by the station C.O. who informed him that his family had just been sent the telegram. Reg Miles was then posted on leave and returned to his home near Dover to recover but he had complications with his injury and was admitted to Dover Hospital. After recovering from his injury he was posted to 420 Squadron based at Tholthorpe and completed his Tour. He later flew with 242 Squadron, 246 Squadron and 511 Squadron.
Further information was to be found at "www.justinmuseum.com/milbios/Milesbio2.html".
Halifax LW615 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4/C by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered new to 432 Squadron at East Moor on 11th February 1944. As a result of flak damage sustained on 23rd April 1944 Cat.A/FB damage would have been the damage assessent and it was repaired on site at East Moor. The incident is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78. On 7th May 1944 it crashed at East Moor and sustained damage that was deemed too great to warrant a repair. Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 16th May 1944.
As stated, the flight engineer Reg Miles gave details of his flying career and was quite detailed with regard his time in Yorkshire with 432 Squadron at East Moor and other units. He first flew at 1664 HCU on 16th March 1944, he joined the Lauzon crew and they were at the Heavy Conversion Unit for less than a month. After posting to 432 Squadron they flew their first operational flight on 10th April 1944 to Ghent, Belguim. Following the flak incident on 23rd April they continued their Tour. On 8th June 1944 Leslie Lauzon and Reg Miles an aircraft when he was injured in an accident, in his own words they were "marshalling V-victor from our dispersal to the main runway, as I unlocked the elevators by pulling out the large pin something slipped and my hand was trapped and very badly cut, I had to be taken to the hospital, sewn up, bandaged and my arm put in a sling. No possibility of my going on the op so a spare flight engineer was called up in my place." His place as flight engineer in P/O Lauzon's crew was taken by a spare flight engineer, Sgt J A Cakebread.
Leslie Lauzon was born in 1922 in Sudbury, Ontario and prior to enlisting his home in Toronto where he worked as a stenographer. He enlisted there on 13th September 1941 and gained his Wings in August 1942 at 5 SFTS in Canada, he received a commision in March 1943, and commenced operational flying with 432 Squadron on 9th April 1944. He was on his fifteenth when he failed to return in Halifax LW616. (He had carried out one flight as second Dickie pilot and fourteen as captain. After hostilities had ended he was freed and eventually returned home to Toronto, Canada, He died after a battle with cancer in February 2010.
As previously stated, Sgt Christoff evaded capture, he was assisted by Ernest and Josephine Heller of Billy-Montigny who were responsible for assisting a number of Allied service men to evade capture. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1946. He had enlisted in North Bay on 11th June 1943. Walter Hodder also evaded capture, he originally came from Grates Cove in Newfoundland, this is pretty much the most easterly part of North America.