Halifax W1253 damaged by flak, returned to Yorkshire (probably East Moor or Linton on Ouse airfield).
On the night of 10th / 11th September 1942 the crew of this 158 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to Dusseldorf. They left base of East Moor at around 20.00hrs. The aircraft was hit by flak in the front of the aircraft in the area to the north of Neuss. Sadly the bomb aimer, P/O William Domaille, was killed in this attack. The rest of the crew were able to return to Yorkshire and land at 01.29hrs though the location of the landing is not yet confirmed. East Moor would be expected however the bomb aimer's death was recorded as being at Linton on Ouse which does lend weight to this being where the aircraft was put down. The damaged aircraft was soon repaired and resumed use by 158 Squadron.
Bomb Aimer - P/O William Edward George Domaille RAFVR (110638), aged 27, of Shirehampton, Bristol. Buried St.Andrews Churchyard, Cheddar, Somerset.
Pilot - Sgt Brian Roy Quinlan RNZAF (NZ.404408), of Rotorua, New Zealand.
Second Pilot - Sgt Weiland Fairfax Ensor RNZAF (NZ.413831), of Auckland City, New Zealand.
Flight Engineer - Sgt James Albert Halse RAFVR (932046).
Navigator - F/O Athol Lloyd Walker RAAF (408004).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John William Murphy RNZAF (NZ.403585), of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Ivor Hirshbien RAFVR (1330511).
Rear Gunner - Sgt William Green RAFVR (1303254).
Halifax W1253 was built to contract B982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd at Samlesbury and was delivered directly to 158 Squadron at East Moor on 9th August 1942 but it was not used operationally until 22nd August 1942. As a result of the battle damage on 10th / 11th September 1942 it appears to have suffered only Cat.A/FB damage that saw it repaired on site, with repairs being completed by 26th September 1942. It then moved to Rufforth with 158 Squadron in early November. The aircraft was lost, with Cat.E2/FB damage recorded, on 8th November 1942 when returning from Ops to Genoa the aircraft ran short of fuel and was ditched at 04.30hrs in the The Humber with the loss of three lives. The photograph above shows the aircraft as it was being recovered. The aircraft was struck off charge on 16th November 1942.
William Domaille was born in Bristol on 11th June 1915, he received a commission on 17th October 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). His death was registered in the Bulmer district of Yorkshire in which East Moor and Linton on Ouse airfields fell.
Brian Quinlan was later commissioned and rose through the ranks to S/Ldr. He was also awarded the DFC in October 1943 and was Mentioned in Despatches twice.
Athol Walker was born in Franklin, Tasmania on 27th September 1917, he was later awarded the DFC for service with 466 Squadron, Gazetted on 12th November 1943.
James Halse received a Mention in Despatches in the 1946 New Years Honours List.
William Green received a commission to P/O on probation (emergency) on 29th July 1943 (155206). He was killed
on 11th August 1943 when 158 Squadron Halifax HR938 was shot down on Ops to Nuremberg and crashed at Wancennes, Belgium.
He is buried in Florennes Communal Cemetery, Belgium. P/O Hirshbien baled out and became a PoW on the same night.
Ivor Hirshbien received a commission on 3rd May 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) rising to F/O on probation (war subs) on 3rd September 1943 and F/Lt on 3rd May 1945 (145902). An Ivor I HirshbEIn's birth was registered in Holburn, London in 1922, he may be the same person. An Ivor Isaac HirshbIEn was living in Australia in 1980 and he too could be the
same person.
Sgt Ensor was killed on 15/16th October 1942 when 158 Squadron Halifax W1108, named "The Menace", crashed in Holland after being shot down by a night fighter. He is buried in Hellendoorn General Cemetery. He was twenty nine years old.
F/Sgt Murphy is buried in the Reichswald War Cemetery having being lost in Halifax W1222 on 16th / 17th September 1942 on Ops to Essen when the aircraft crashed near Krefeld.
