Halifax DK176 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.
Halifax DK176 (shown above) took off from Holme on Spalding Moor airfield during the evening of 9th July 1943 to undertake and operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen. The 76 Squadron aircraft was damaged by flak over the target which was covered by thick cloud preventing operational crews from seeing their bombing results. On the return trip the aircraft suffered engine problems which prevented it from flying higher than 8,000ft. The aircraft crash landed at Holme on Spalding Moor on the return to base at 05.15hrs on 10th July 1943 and was badly damaged.
Pilot - Sgt Kenneth Hewson RCAF.
Second Pilot? - W/O J H S Jones.
Flight Engineer - Sgt George Herbert Jones RAFVR (917016).
Navigator - Sgt K R Parry.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Robert Thomas Isaac RAFVR (1337597). Back injuries.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt George William Robert Taylor RAFVR (1331065).
Air Gunner - Sgt Albert William Davis RAFVR (935495).
Air Gunner - Sgt Alwyn Harry Leigh Atkinson RAFVR (1454519).
George Jones received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 26th March 1944 and was promoted to F/O (War subs) on 26th September 1944. He was later awarded the DFC for service with 635 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th September 1945.
Alwyn Atkinson received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 11th May 1944 and was promoted to F/O (war subs on 11th November 1944.
Albert Davis received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 23rd June 1944 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 23rd December 1944 and to F/Lt on 23rd June 1946. He remained in the RAFVR until 22nd December 1955.
George Taylor received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 1st August 1944 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 1st February 1945.
Sgt Parry was wounded in the arm while flying with 76 Squadron on the famous Peenemunde raid on 17th / 18th August 1943 in Halifax DK194 when the aircraft was fired upon by an air gunner in a 158 Squadron Halifax who had mistaken their Halifax.
Kenneth Hewson was born in Birmingham, England in 1923 but had moved across the Atlantic and was living on Long Island, New York when he enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal in October 1941. He was later awarded the DFC for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted 16th November 1943.
Four of this crew; Atkinson, Davis, Taylor and Jones, were all awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, all Gazetted on 16th November 1943. All four and Kenneth Hewson were all probably awarded their medals for the same action and possibly as part of the friendly fire incident that wounded Sgt Parry.
Robert Isaac was still serving with 76 Squadron on 27th December 1943 when Halifax DK167 crashed in poor weather at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield on return from Ops. While the aircraft was badly damaged he and the rest of his then crew escaped injury. He was awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron for service prior to receiving a commission, Gazetted on 6th June 1944. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 9th March 1944 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 9th September 1944 and F/Lt on 9th March 1946.