Halifax DK172 damaged on Ops, landed at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 20th / 21st April 1943 the crew of this 76 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Stettin. The aircraft took off from Linton on Ouse airfield at 21.24hrs. While over the Naestved the aircraft was engaged by flakships. The hydraulics, tailplane and port wing sustained damage. The crew jettisoned the bomb load and the aircraft was also fired on by another aircraft believed to have been a friendly Lancaster. An early return to Linton on Ouse was made and they landed at 03.55hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Edward Semmens Bawden RAFVR (1187072).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Knowles RAFVR (988221).
Navigator - P/O Leslie William Sinclair Thick RAFVR (145712).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Thomas Musgrove RAFVR (1381332).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J W Smith.
Air Gunner - Sgt Cyril Greenhalgh RAFVR (1001217).
Air Gunner - Sgt Thomas Leonard Victor Hitchcock RAFVR (1335371).
Postwar F/Lt Knowles died on 30th January 1946 when 525 Squadron Dakota KN500 crashed near Le Mans.
On 24th May 1943 P/O Bawden, F/Sgt Musgrove and Sgt's Greenhalgh and Hitchcock were killed when Halifax DK172 failed to return from Ops to Dortmund. All are buried in the Reichwald Forest War Cemetery. Knowles, Thick and Smith were made POW.
Halifax DK172 was built to contract ACFT/891/C4 by Fairey Aviation Ltd. at Stockport and was taken on charge by 76 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 20th April 1943. As a result of the damage sustained on 21st April 1943 minor Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment. The aircraft was repaired on site and returned to 76 Squadron use. On 24th May 1943 it failed to return from Ops to Dortmund. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was struck off charge on 28th May 1943.