Halifax DT507 damaged by enemy aircraft, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 11th / 12th March 1943 this 405 Squadron aircraft was undertaking an operational flight to bomb Stuttgart when the aircraft was attacked and damaged by an enemy aircraft. The crew brought the aircraft back Leeming, landing at 02.12hrs having sustained damage to a fuel tank, the port wing and aileron.
Pilot - Sgt Richard Anthony Symes BEM RAF (1315955).
Navigator - F/Sgt Joseph Hector Boudreau RCAF (R/109968).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Cornelius Massey RCAF (J/1113).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Cecil Ambrose Farnum RCAF.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt F R O'Neil RCAF (R/7808).
Air Gunner - Sgt Richard Trent Botkin RCAF (R/109968).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Arthur William Nichols BEM RCAF (R/74646).
Botkin received a Mentioned in Despatches. On 8th / 9th October 1943 he and Farnum were flying in 405 Squadron Lancaster JA980 that failed to return from Ops to Hanover. Farnum became a PoW while Botkin was killed and is buried Hanover War Cemetery.
Halifax DT507 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection on 11th September 1942. The following day it was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Beaulieu within Coastal Command. On 3rd March 1943 405 Squadron moved to Leeming within Bomber Command. As a result of battle damage sustained on 12th March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. On 26th / 27th March 1943 it received Cat.A/FB damage as a result of battle damage on Ops. On 14th April 1943 it received Cat.Ac/FB damage assessment. This appears to have been because the aircraft returned early from Ops the previous night with an unservicable oxygen system to the rear turret and a number of hung-up incendiary bombs. The squadron records do not state any further damage happened. The aircraft was repaired on site and returned to the 405 Squadron on 18th May 1943 but were now based at Gransden Lodge. It was later allocated to and taken on charge by 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe before the end of July 1943 but the date for this transfer is not known. It was replaced as LQ-M at 405 Squadron by Halifax HR864 on 25th June 1943 so DT507 may have left for 1659 H.C.U. soon after. On 29th July 1943 the undercarriage collapsed on landing at Topcliffe, the damage was initially assessed as Cat.Ac/FA but on 11th August 1943, during the repair, it was re-assessed and Re-Cat.E. It was then struck off charge on that date.
A superb account of the wartime exploits of many of those named above is to be found on the excellent "aircrewremembered.com" website.
Richard Symes was born in Fordington, Dorset in 1923 and when he enlisted into the RAF in 1941 he was living in Taunton. For service with 405 Squadron during Coastal Command operations he was awarded the British Empire Medal, Gazetted on 26th February 1943 the citation was a joint one with Sergeant Arthur William Nichols RCAF (R/74646) and the incident referred to occurred on 26th November 1942. The citation reads.."One night in November 1942, Sergeant Nichols and Sergeant Symes were engineer and pilot, respectively, of an aircraft engaged on anti-submarine patrol duties. On the return journey engine trouble developed and Sergeant Symes was compelled to make an emergency landing. In so doing the aircraft struck a hut and burst into flames. All the crew with the exception of the wireless operator, who was trapped by the legs, managed to extricate themselves. Knowing that the petrol tanks might explode any moment, Sergeants Symes and Nichols re-entered the blazing aircraft and succeeded in extricating the wireless operator. A few seconds later the petrol tanks exploded. The courage and devotion to duty displayed by these Sergeants undoubtedly saved their comrade's life." Richard Symes was later posted to 408 Squadron and on the night of 19th / 20th June 1943 he was flying Halifax JD107 on Ops to le Creusot when the aircraft was shot down over Caen by a night-fighter. Four of his then crew were killed but he and three others were made a PoWs.