Halifax L9623 damaged by flak, landed at Leeming airfield.

On the night of 26th / 27th February 1942 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft had taken off from Leeming at 18.25hrs for an operational flight to bomb Kiel harbour with the main target being the Deutsche Werke ship yard and where the German battleship "Gneisenau" was in dry-dock. This aircraft was hit by flak while in the target area and sustained damage to the fuselage and one engine. The crew later reported that they were held in searchlights for around twenty minutes and being dazzled by the lights prevented the crew from seeing where their bombs had struck. They made a safe return to Leeming and landed at 01.18hrs.

Pilot - P/O Thomas William George Godfrey RAFVR (68176).

Second Pilot - Sgt Bell.

Navigator - P/O Jack Vincent Watts RCAF (J/4688), of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Wireless Operator - F/Sgt T J Beare RCAF (R/50837), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Wireless Operator - Sgt Donald Alexander Clephane RAFVR (919564).

Air Gunner - Sgt Franklin J Falkoski RCAF (R/70610), of Fairy Glenn, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Rupert Guy O'Connor RAF (569352).

Halifax L9623 was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was allotted to 10 Squadron on 21st November 1941. It was then taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 23rd November 1941. On 2nd February 1942 it sustained minor damage when it was fired upon by trawlers, believed to have been friendly fire. The damage was assessed as Cat.A and it was quikcly repaired on site. As a result of the damage sustained on 27th February 1942 minor Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 18th April 1942 the aircraft was transferred to 10 Conversion Flight where 10 Squadron's Halifax crews received Halifax conversion training. It appears to have been loaned back to 10 Squadron for the Thousand Bomber raids that were flown at the end of May / start of June 1942. On 2nd June 1942 it failed to return from an operational flight to Essen when the crew ditched off the Dutch Coast. Cat/Em damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on the same date.
Sgt Clephane was killed on 9th May 1942 while flying Ops to Warnemunde in Halifax W7674 and is buried in Berlin War Cemetery, he was twenty three years old.
Jack Watts was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1920 and enlisted for RCAF service in July 1940. He first flew operationally the UK with 10 Squadron and for service with them he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 4th August 1942. The citation for his DFC reads.. "Flight Lieutenant Watts is a courageous and highly skilled navigator who has done much to ensure the success of many of the sorties in which he has participated. One night in April 1942 he was the navigator of an aircraft detailed to attack the naval base at Trondheim. On arrival at the target area the aircraft was intercepted by an enemy fighter but Flight Lieutenant Watts coolly and skilfully guided his captain down through an intense barrage and the fighter was unable to follow. The objective was then attacked from an extremely low level. The following night when attacking the same objective, Flight Lieutenant Watts distinguished himself by his brilliant navigation." He served in North Africa joining 462 Squadron on it's formation in 1942. On 11th November 1942 he was flying in Halifax DT498 which was hit by flak and abandoned off Tobruk, he swam ashore and hid behind German lines and was found by an advancing Army unit and returned to Allied lines (F/Sgt Guertin of Halifax L9619 at Keld incident survived this same indident and became a PoW). He later served with 109 Squadron and was awarded the Bar to the DFC, Gazetted on 13th October 1944 and the DSO, Gazetted on 27th April 1945.
Franklin Falkoski also served with 462 Squadron in North Africa in late 1942 receiving his commission with effect of 17th September 1942 but after December 1942 nothing more is known of him.
Sgt Beare was posted out of 10 Squadron on 25th June 1942 and nothing more is known of him.
Thomas Godfrey received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 29th May 1941 and was promoted to F/O on 29th May 1942. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron while in the rank of Acting F/Lt, Gazetted on 4th August 1942. He was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 21st November 1942 and was later awarded the Bar to DFC for service with 156 Squadron, Gazetted on 8th December 1944 while in the rank of Acting S/Ldr. Postwar he remained in the RAFVR transferring to the RAF on 1st July 1946 and was promoted to S/Ldr on 1st January 1955. In June 1963 he was granted an MBE on the Queen's Birthday Honours List and he retired on 18th March 1969.

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