Halifax DK185 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 12th / 13th June 1943 the crew of this 427 Squadron aircraft received orders to bomb Bochum but single handedly opted to bomb Essen by mistake. With the whole of Essen's air defences probably opening up on this Halifax the crew were probably lucky to get away. It sustained flak damage which caused damage to two engines and the rudder control but the pilot was able to make a safe landing at Leeming at 04.55hrs. While listed in the squadron records as being severe damage it must have been less serious than first thought as it was repaired and damaged again on Ops on 20th June 1943.
Pilot - F/O Lou Warren Somers RCAF (J/8519).
Navigator - P/O Max Shvemar RCAF (J/22206).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Vernon M White RCAF (J/22537).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt L A Bone RAFVR (1027401).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jim P Lynch RCAF (R/100861).
Air Gunner - Sgt D J Ashby RAFVR (1320913).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William George Arthur RAFVR (1371842).
Lou Somers was born Leo Somerstein but probably changed his name to sound less Germanic. He was injured serving with 57 Squadron in July 1942 as a result of enemy action.
On 24th / 25th June 1943 many of those listed above were flying Halifax DK135 when it failed to return from Ops to Wuppertal. Somers, Arthur and Shvemar were killed while White and Bone became PoWs.