Halifax BB248 possibly damaged by flak, returned to Melbourne airfield.
During the evening of 30th January 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were tasked with a mine laying flight, they took off from Melbourne airfield at 17.21hrs and dropped their mines at 19.13hrs from 700 feet in the allotted area. Making the return flight to Melbourne they landed at 22.43hrs. The squadron records specifically state that with this crew "no opposition was encountered". This crew don't appear to have been a 10 Squadron crew at the time, they were coming to the end of their training at 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit.
Air historian Graham Sharpe has located reference to BB248 sustaining operational damage on this flight caused by flak from flak ships. If this is true then then damage must only have been very minor.
Pilot - P/O Raymond Price Hellis RAFVR (123117).
Navigator - Sgt Alfred Charles Paulton RCAF (R/98024).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Robert George Craft RCAF (R/84492).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth John Bullock RAF (553917).
Air Gunner - Sgt Larkins (probably Albert Thomas Larkins RAFVR (1398705)).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Alfred Long Blair RAF (619934).
Air Gunner - Sgt E F Larson.
Raymond Hellis had received a commission on 25th April 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O on 25th October 1942. Here is the problem, his rank is listed as P/O on 3rd February 1943 when BB194 crashed but this man was a rank higher. He was flying in 1658 H.C.U. Halifax BB194 on 3rd February 1943 when it was involved in a crash at Melbourne. Raymond Hellis and his crew next flew operationally with 10 Squadron on 16th February 1943. He received the DFC, Gazetted on 13th August 1943 while in the rank of Acting F/Lt.
Robert Craft was also awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th August 1943. The citation for his DFM states "Flight Sergeant Craft became a first class air bomber at a very early stage in his operational career and it has been very largely owing to his skill and determination that many fine photographs have been obtained. On one occasion during an attack on Berlin his aircraft was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire and Flight Sergeant Craft received severe head injuries. After a month in the hospital this airman returned to duty. Since then he has continued to display great keenness and courage." I have not yet located the incident in which he was injured but in "Melbourne 10" Brian Rapier gives the date as being 3rd April 1943 but it was Ops to Essen on this night and not Berlin.
Alfred Paulton and Alfred Blair were awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th August 1943.
Albert Larkins was awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 18th November 1943, rising to F/O six months later and to F/Lt on 18th Noveber 1945.
Halifax BB248 was built to contract B.124357/40 by London Passenger Transport Board Ltd. at Leavesden and appears to have been awaiting collection on 15th April 1942. After a lengthy period of fitting out and storage it was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Elvington on 27th October 1942 when they began conversion from Whitleys to Halifaxes. All of 77 Squadrons MkII Halifaxes were recalled immediately and were replaced by MkV's but then again replaced by modified MkII's soon after. BB248 was one of these original MkII's. It was transferred to 10 Squadron at Melbourne on 27th October 1942 and was first used operationally by them on 28th November 1942 as "ZA-J". Following use (and possible cat.A/FB damage) on 30th January 1943 it was next flown operationally on 3rd February 1943. The damage must have been very very minor resulting in a swift repair on site at Melbourne. Halifax BB248 left 10 Squadron and joined 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit on 15th February 1943. It later passed to 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit but the transfer date is not logged on the aircraft's AM Form 78. It crashed at Topcliffe on 15th May 1944 following a fighter affiliation exercise. Cat.Ac/FA damage was the initial damage assessment but this was upgraded to Re-Cat.E on 2nd June 1944 and it was struck off charge.