Halifax DK183 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 29th / 30th May 1943 427 Squadron undertook operational flights to bomb Wuppertal and this was the first operational flight that 427 Squadron flew after
converting to the Halifax. This aircraft took off from Leeming at 22.45hrs and released their bomb load on to fires already burning as they could not locate the target markers because of smoke from the fires. The aircraft was slightly damaged by flak which struck part of the fuel system. The crew landed at Leeming at 04.50hrs.
Pilot - P/O Alexander Mathias Fellner RCAF (J/16714).
Navigator - P/O J Ferguson RCAF (J/14634).
Bomb Aimer - P/O William Angus Thurston RCAF (J/17163).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Bernard Laird Tedford RCAF (R/108545).
Air Gunner - Sgt Albert Dixon RCAF (R/176201).
Air Gunner - Sgt Gerrard Smith Huston RCAF (R/108531).
Flight Engineer - Sgt James Imms RAF (604842).
Fellner, Thurston, Tedford, Dixon, Imms and Huston were flying Halifax DK183 on 12th / 13th June 1943 on Ops to Bochum when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter. The aircraft crashed into the sea off Texel. Tedford, Imms and Dixon died. Fellner, Thurston and Huston became PoWs.
Halifax DK183 was built to contract ACFT/891/C4 by Fairey Aviation Co. Ltd. at Stockport and was taken on charge as new by 427 Squadron at Leeming on 2nd May 1943. The aircraft received minor Cat.A/FB battle damage on Ops on 30th May 1943 and was repaired on site. On 13th June 1943 the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Bochum, Cat.E(m) damage was recorded and the aircraft was struck off charge on 21st June 1943 having flown just over 49 hours in the air from new.