Halifax DT545 damaged by flak, landed at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 13th / 14th October 1942 the crew of this 76 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Kiel and took off from Linton on Ouse airfield at 18.32hrs. The aircraft received flak damage and returned to Linton on Ouse with holes in the fuselage, tail and port mainplane. A safe landing was made at 01.30hrs.
Pilot - P/O William Charlies Hillier RAFVR (117681).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Dennis Alfred Kidby RAFVR (1391158).
Navigator - Sgt Herbert Joseph Bromsgrove Canter RAFVR (1319407).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Ord Robertson RAFVR (1114418).
Air Gunner - Sgt Alan Frank Smith RAFVR (933236).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Albert Parkin RAFVR (974929).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Edward Theckston RAFVR (1492389).
On 6th December 1942 Hillier, Smith, Parkin, Canter, Robertson, Theckston were flying Halifax BB242 on Ops to Mannheim when the aircraft crashed in France.
F/O Hillier MiD and Sgt Smith were killed and are buried at Courouvre. The others either evaded capture or were made PoW. Canter and Robertson were awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 11th May 1943 for evading capture and returning to the UK.
Halifax DT545 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Company Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered directly to 76 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 1st October 1942. On 14th October 1942 it received minor battle damage on Ops to Kiel. The damage was assessed as being Cat.Ac/FB and it was repaired on site. The aircraft was returned to 76 Squadron charge on 7th December 1942. It crashed at Linton on Ouse on 25th February 1943. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge in early March 1943.