Halifax L9499 damaged by flak, returned to Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 15th / 16th June 1941 this 35 Squadron aircraft took off at 23.55hrs with the crew due to undertake an operational flight to Germany. Because of 10/10ths cloud cover over the
primary target of Hannover the crew opted to bomb Osnabruck but the aircraft sustained slight flak damage. The undercarriage doors and a tyre sustained damage but the crew were able
to effect a safe landing at Linton on Ouse at around 06.30hrs. The damage was soon repaired and the aircraft used on Ops before the end of the month.
Pilot - F/Lt Thomas Douglas Inglis Robison RAF (42768), of Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand.
Second Pilot - Sgt Laurence Hancock RAFVR (977649).
Navigator - Sgt Ernest Joseph Harding RAF (747824).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner? - Sgt Pugh. (Possibly Sgt Philip Stanley Pugh RAFVR (944287)).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Rodney Gordon Mullally RAFVR (975341).
Air Gunner - Sgt Robert Dunn RAFVR (1109715).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Percy Ingham RAF (526092).
On 30th June 1941 Robison, Hancock, Harding, Dunn and Inglis were flying Ops to Hanover in this same aircraft, Halifax L9499,
when the aircraft was shot down by fighters on the return. Sgt Harding survived to become a PoW but the remainder of the crew were
killed. They are now buried in Kiel War Cemetery.
Sgt Mullally was made a PoW on 2nd September 1941 when Halifax L9508 failed to return from Ops to Berlin, he was still flying with 35 Squadron.
A quick internet search suggests he is still living in retirement in Surrey.
Around June 1941 a number of 35 Squadron personnel were posted to 90 Squadron and I tentatively link Sgt Pugh as being one of these numbers. On 28th July 1941 a Sgt Philip
Pugh died when Fortress AN534 crashed near Corby. He was twenty three years old and is buried in Northampton Cemetery.
Halifax L9499 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 37 MU on 22nd December 1940. It was taken on charge by 35 Squadron
at Linton on Ouse on 3rd March 1941 whilst the unit were working up for operational flying. The damage sustained by flak on 16th June 1941 is not listed aircraft's AM Form 78. Cat.A/FB damage is the likely assessment and the damage would have been repaired on site at Linton on Ouse. As stated above, it failed to return from Ops to Kiel on 30th June 1941. Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork. It was struck off charge on 2nd July 1941.