Halifax DK194 damaged by "friendly fire", landed at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.
On the night of 17th / 18th August 1943 the crew of this 76 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb the rocket research site at Peenemunde. Having left base of Holme on Spalding Moor at around 21.00hrs during the course of the night the Halifax was mistakenly fired upon by the crew of a 158 Squadron Halifax, bullets entered the fuselage and injured the navigator. The crew landed safely at 04.50hrs, probably back at Holme on Spalding Moor.
Pilot - Sgt Kenneth Hewson RCAF.
Flight Engineer - Sgt George Herbert Jones RAFVR (917016).
Navigator - Sgt K R Parry. Injured.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Robert Thomas Isaac RAFVR (1337597).
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 a 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 a 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 a 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 a 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.
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.
Sgt Robert Isaac was awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th July 1944. He received a 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.