Lancaster DS713 damaged in the air, landed at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 22nd / 23rd August 1943 the crew of this 426 Squadron Lancaster were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Leverkusen when, just before they reached the target area this aircraft was approached by enemy aircraft. It was spotted closing in on the Lancaster by the mid-upper gunner who informed the pilot of this and evasive action was taken and both gunners fired at the aircraft and it broke off its attack. The Lancaster crew released their bomb load over the target area and shortly afterwards a Junkers Ju88 was then seen to be making an approached and attacked the Lancaster a number of times. Again the Lancaster's gunners opened fire when it came into range while the pilot took evasive action and it eventually broke off its attack and disappeared. No damage was believed to have been sustained to the Lancaster during this encounter. The crew made a safe return to Linton on Ouse landing in the early hours. The aircraft was later inspected as part of the routine maintenance of the aircraft at Linton on Ouse and the main spar was found to be damaged. It was later repaired and returned to 426 Squadron. I make the assumption that it was over-stressed in the air while the evasive action was being taken.
Pilot - Acting S/Ldr Alfred Johnstone Hughes RCAF (J/3990).
Navigator - Sgt William Harold Boles RCAF (R/101526).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick Donald Rawlings RAFVR (1330230).
Bomb Aimer - F/O George Harry Buchanan RCAF (J/20911).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William James McLean RAFVR (1365143).
Air Gunner - Sgt Fred Wilkinson RAFVR (2208870).
Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth William Sawyer RCAF (R/164404).
Alfred Hughes was born on 23rd February 1918 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and was the son of Alfred and Agnes Hope Hughes (nee Minnis). Both his parents were born in Northern Ireland but had emigrated to Canada before they were married. Alfred (Jnr) was working as a salesman/clerk in a hardware store in Hamilto up until enlisting for RCAF service in Hamilton on 2nd July 1940. He received a commission on 11th February 1941 the same date as being awarded his pilot Wings. He then appears to have served in Canada until being posted to the UK in December 1942. On arrival in the UK he trained at 14 (P)AFU and then 23 OTU before posting to 428 Squadron on 18th May 1943. Days later on 28th May 1943 he was posted to 426 Squadron but as they were about to convert to fly Lancasters he was posted to detachment to 1679 Conversion Flight to undertake the conversion training in June 1943 and returned to 426 Squadron when this training was complete. On 7th October 1943 he was the pilot of Lancaster DS762 undertaking an operational flight when, outbound, off Beachy Head, the Lancaster was fired upon by the crew of another Lancaster that was seen to fly just below them, this so called "friendly fire" damaged the hydraulics and also a bullet wounded S/Ldr Hughes in the thigh. The crew turned for England, jettisoned the bomb load but as the doors would not open they released the 4,000lb in the aircraft and the weight of it broke open the bomb doors. The undercarriage would also not lower properly so they used an emergency air bottle to make it deply and they made a safe landing at Tangmere airfield. S/Ldr Hughes was admitted to Chichester hospital, he recovered from this injury and was posted back to 426 Squadron.
Only weeks later all of the above named were to be killed on 27th November 1943 while flying Lancaster DS679 on Ops to Berlin. All have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.