Halifax L9510 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 14th / 15th July 1941 the crew of this 76 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Hannover railway station. While over the target the aircraft was hit by flak. The pilot was able to make the return to northern England but a number of 76 Squadron aircraft were diverted to Linton on Ouse to land because of poor weather over their home airfield of Middleton St.George. This aircraft suffered the same fate as another of the same unit. The pilot of the aircraft made a poor approach to land and should have flown an overshoot and made a further attempt to land but in seeing a bank of mist or fog approaching the airfield be landed on a short runway. It overshot on landing at Linton on Ouse at 04.55hrs, the pilot swerved to try and stop the aircraft running into the boundary hedge but the undercarriage then collapsed. The battle damage had prevented the pilot from selecting full-flap, it over ran as the pilot was unable to stop it in time.
Pilot - Sgt Henry Howard Drummond RAFVR (968515).
Second Pilot - Sgt Emrys Evan Jones RAVVR (1151000).
Observer - Sgt Montagu Ellis Hawkins Dawson RAFVR (748082).
? - Sgt Fraser.
? - Sgt Barrett.
? - Sgt Shields.
? - Sgt Wallace.
Halifax L9510 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was awaiting collection on 14th February 1941. It was allotted to 35 Squadron on 28th February 1941 and was taken on charge by 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 23rd April 1941. On 12th May 1941 it was transferred to 76 Squadron at Linton on Ouse when the unit reformed and began conversion to Halifax aircraft. On 4th June 1941 it moved to Middleton St.George with 76 Squadron. As a result of the damage sustained on 15th July 1941 at Linton on Ouse the initial damage assessment of Cat.Ac/FB was the assessment by No.43 Group D.A. but this must have been re-assessed onethe repair was started as it was transported to Handley Page S.A.S. on 20th July 1941 for a repair in works. It would have been Re.Cat.B but the aircraft's AM Form 78 does not reflect that. It does state that once the repair was complete it passed to 45 MU on 29th March 1942 and it was then returned to 76 Squadron charge on 30th June 1942. The aircraft must have been unwanted as it swiftly passed to 102 Conversion Flight on 2nd July 1942 which had formed at Topcliffe on 1st June 1942. On 7th August 1942 it moved with this unit to Pocklington only to sustain damage there on 18th October 1942. Cat.Ac/FA was the initial damage assessment but a re-assessment took place on 28th October 1942 and it was written off with Cat.E damage recorded. The aircraft was struck off charge on that date having flown 242 hours total flying time from new.
On 24th July 1941 Harry Drummond was injured by fire from a night fighter but managed to get his aircraft back and land at Stanton Harcourt. He was awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted 21st October 1941. He recieved a commission three days after his DFM was Gazetted and was later awarded the AFC, Gazetted on 1st January 1944 (possibly for his work instructing). He had risen to the rank of Acting W/C by the end of the War and remained in the RAF in the Post-War period but under the terms of his wartime commission reverted to the lower rank. As F/Lt he relinquished his commission in July 1952.
Monty Dawson had served with 78 Squadron before a posting to 76 Squadron, he completed his Tour with 76 Squadron and was commissioned in November 1941. He was awarded the DFM for this Tour (Gazetted on 30th January 1942). He was then given an instructing role but later returned to operational flying with 196 Squadron, and awarded the DFC (Gazetted on 11th February 1944) and a posting to 7 Squadron PFF. He was awarded The Bar to DFC (Gazetted on 6th November 1945) and completed a third Tour. He left the RAF in 1945 but rejoined in 1946 and granted a permanent F/Lt commission, working in Transport Command, and later with the Air Ministry, the MoD and in 1969 he was appointed CO at RAF Finningley. His last military posting was with NATO and he retired from the RAF as G/C in 1974. He worked for British Aerospace until retiring in 1987 and lived in the Winchester area, he died in January 2003 aged 83.
Sgt Jones was posted from 58 Squadron to 35 Squadron on 10th June 1941 though briefly returned to 58 Squadron on detachment on 29th June 1941 returning to 35 Squadron. 35 Squadron appear to have taken their second pilots from 58 Squadron to give them experience of flying operationally and with the Halifax type. He was killed on 28th January 1942 flying 138 Squadron Whitley Z6728 on an SOE. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.