Halifax DK140 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 25th / 26th June 1943 the crew of this 427 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen, the aircraft was damaged by a flak burst and received holes in the wings and fuselage while the bombsight equipment was also damaged. The crew made a safe return to Leeming airfield at 04.20hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Eric Arthur Johnson RAFVR (1212389).
Navigator - F/O Harold Joseph Sydney Kemley RAFVR (128489).
Bomb Aimer - F/O John William Moore RAFVR (127509).
Wireless Operator - F/O W E Moyle RCAF (J/15890).
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Alfred Jackson RCAF (R/140357).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Geoffrey Bruce Whyte RCAF (R/56436).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Norman Jones Huxley RAF(AAF) (820050).
Geoffrey Whyte had served with 419 Squadron before posting to 427 Squadron. He was awarded the DFC for service with 427 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th September 1943.
John Moore received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 7th August 1942 and rose to F/O on 7th February 1944 and later to F/Lt on 14th August 1944.
Norman Huxley was still serving with 427 Squadron on 31st August 1943 when Halifax LK629 crashed in Belgium on an operational flight. He was twenty six years old and is buried in Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
If Henry Jackson was part of the crew of DK140 on 26th June 1943 then he was flying with a different 427 Squadron crew on 7th September 1943 in Halifax LK628 on Ops to Munich when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter. He was killed and is now buried in Durnbach War Cemetery.
Harold Kemley received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 14th August 1942 and rose to F/O on 14th February 1943. He was posted to 427 Squadron in February 1943 and completed twenty operational flights with them, he was later posted to 432 Squadron where he flew a further thirteen operational flights on Lancasters and Halifaxes until the night of 25th / 26th July 1944. On this night he was flying in 432 Squadron Halifax NP687 undertaking an operational flight to bomb Stuttgart. The aircraft Halifax NP687 was abandoned over Northern France and he evaded capture and eventually made it to the American lines. Having risen to F/Lt he was awarded the DFC for service with 432 Squadron, Gazetted on 24th January 1946 (with effect from 25th July 1944).
Eric Johnson was born in Enson, Staffordshire was one of 427 Squadron's first pilots joining the squadron in late 1942 flying his first operational flight to Turin as a second pilot in December 1942. He was initially recommended for the DFM on 30th June 1943 when he had flown twenty operational flights but this must have been well after he was recommended for a commission because the London Gazette states that he received his commission on 15th March 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (147215) though 427 Squadron's ORB states that he only received notification of this in July 1943. He was recommended for the DFC on 20th July 1943 when he had flown twenty two flights, the DFC was granted and notification was printed in the London Gazette on 14th September 1943. He appears to have left 427 Squadron around September / October 1943 because he is not listed in their operational flying list after this. He was promoted to F/O on 15th September 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 15th March 1945. He remained in the RAF after the war and was also awarded the Air Force Cross, Gazetted on 1st January 1947 while in the rank of Acting S/Ldr. He left the RAF reliquishing his commission on 20th January 1950. He later received the British Empire Medal. He died in April 2008 in Stafford aged 85.