Halifax DK205 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.

On the night of 24th / 25th July 1943 the crew of this 76 Squadron were one of a number of the squadron who undertook an operational flight to bomb Hamburg, outbound the aircraft suffered a coolant leak in the port inner engine and it had to shut down. The crew abandoned the flight and made for base. On their return to Holme on Spalding Moor airfield at 02.31hrs in poor visibility the pilot held off landing, then when the aircraft touched down it swung off the runway and the undercarriage collapsed. A day later many of those involved in this incident were flying Halifax DK148 when they again crashed at Holme on Spalding Moor on return from Ops, two of the crew were later awarded DFCs for their actions in this second incident.

Pilot - F/Lt Colin McTaggart Shannon RAAF (415055).

Second Pilot - P/O A V Dumphy RCAF (J/20572).

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Torrance Buchan RAF (655439).

Navigator - Sgt V S Shaw (Possibly Sgt Victor Stanley Shaw RAFVR (1389260)).

Wireless Operator - F/O William Claude Ellis RAFVR (132386).

Air Gunner - Sgt John Smith RAFVR (928040).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Frederick Walton RAFVR (1436208).

Air Gunner - Sgt John Dodson RAFVR (1129601).

On the night of 9th / 10th August 1943 Shannon, Smith, Buchan, Walton and Dodson were flying in Halifax LK892 on Ops to Mannheim when the aircraft was shot down by flak and crashed near Boulogne with the loss of all the crew. They are buried Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. Shannon was 25, Buchan was 28, Walton was 19 and Dodson was 21 years old.

William Ellis received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 31st October 1942 and rose to F/O (war subs) on 30th April 1943. For service with 76 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. The citation was a joint one with Shannon's and reads.."One night in July 1943, these officers were pilot and wireless operator/air gunner respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack Essen. When nearing the target, one of the port propellers was shattered and the engine caught fire. In spite of this, Flight Lieutenant Shannon went on to make a successful bombing run. The wireless apparatus was unserviceable as the aerials had been destroyed but Pilot Officer Ellis resourcefully erected an emergency aerial and thus was enabled to re-establish contact with base and obtain bearings which proved of material assistance to his pilot on the return flight. Both these officers displayed great skill and tenacity, setting an excellent example.

Colin Shannon was the son of Pultney and Eva Shannon, of Noman's Lake, Narrogin East and was born on 13th April 1918 and was working as a farmer when he enlisted into the RAAF on 23rd June 1941 in Perth. He was granted a commission in the RAAF on 30th April 1942 to the rank of P/O and rose to F/O on 30th October 1942. After basic training he arrived in the UK in September 1942 and trained at 15 (P)AFU, 24 OTU and 1663 HCU before posting to 76 Squadron on 4th June 1943. He first flew operationally with 76 Squadron on 11th June 1943. He too was awarded the DFC for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943.

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