Halifax DK146 caught fire in air, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 22nd / 23rd September 1943 the crew of this 427 Squadron aircraft took off from Leeming airfield at 19.05hrs for an operational flight to bomb Hannover. Outbound the port inner engine caught fire and while the fire was put out they opted to return to base, jettisoning the bomb load and landing at Leeming at 22.00hrs on three engines. This crew were posted to 433 Squadron on its formation and continued to fly as a crew there until March 1944.
Pilot - Sgt Gerald William Wolton RCAF (R/131754).
Navigator - P/O Gerald Moorhouse Walls RCAF (J/14570).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt D F Wilson RCAF (R/154153).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Stephen Michael Byrne RAFVR (1098423).
Air Gunner - Sgt Raymond Harold Leonard Potentier RCAF (R/166677).
Air Gunner - Sgt Otis Judson Mohler RCAF (R/166138).
Flight Engineer - Sgt J R Brown RAFVR (1475688).
Second Pilot - Sgt A G McCauley RCAF (R/119494).
Ray Potentier was flying with a different crew with 433 Squadron on 24th March 1944. The aircraft was badly damaged by flak and the navigator wounded but although the captain did not give the order to abandon the aircraft he baled out over Germany. The aircraft with the rest of the crew limped back to England and landed at West Malling. He managed to evade capture and escaped Germany, eventually returning to the UK.
Stephen Byrne received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 7th October 1943 and rose to F/O six months later. He too was also posted to 433 Squadron and was awarded the DFC for service with them, Gazetted on 22nd May 1945.
Gerald Wolton enlisted for RCAF service in Calgary in September 1941. Following service with 427 Squadron he was posted to 433 Squadron in November 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with them, Gazetted on 19th May 1944. He survived the War.
Gerald Walls enlisted for RCAF service in Regina in October 1941 and he too was posted to 433 Squadron following service with 427 Squadron. He was also awarded the DFC for service with 433 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944.
Otis Mohler was later posted to 420 Squadron and was killed on 28th May 1944 when Halifax MZ502 was shot down by a night-fighter on an operational flight with the loss of all of his then crew. He is buried in Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.
Halifax DK146 was built to contract ACFT/891/C4 by Fairey Aviation Co. Ltd. at Stockport and was flown to 8 M.U. at Little Rissington on 26th March 1943. It was taken on charge by 427 Squadron at Leeming on 18th May 1943. As a result of battle damage on 30th May 1943, 23rd June 1943 and 6th September 1943 Cat.A/FB damage assessments were made each time and repairs on site carried out each time. On 23rd September 1943 the port inner engine caught fire on Ops to Hannover and while the crew made a safe landing Cat.A/FB again was the damage assessment. The aircraft was again repaired on site. On 27th December 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit at Dishforth. On 24th February 1944 it crashed near Rainton, Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 7th March 1944.