On the night of 11th / 12th June 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Melbourne airfield at 23.32hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Dusseldorf. They bombed the target area at 02.07hrs from 17,000 feet on the PFF target markers but while over the target area the aircraft received minor flak damage to the fuselage beside where the second pilot would have sat if the aircraft was carrying one. Despite the damage the crew managed to make the return to base and landed at Melbourne at 05.30hrs, far later than any other returning 10 Squadron aircraft. This was one of six 10 Squadron Halifaxes damaged on this night.
Pilot - Sgt Geoffrey William Lucas RAFVR (656178).
Navigator - Sgt Jenkins.
Bomb Aimer - P/O Leonard Arthur Butcher RAFVR (132607).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Clement Seay RAFVR (1073801).
Air Gunner - Sgt Edward Thomas Davis RAAF (414659).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Bernard James Sprackling RAF (576132).
Air Gunner - Sgt Ronald Walter Pantlin RAFVR (931130).
All of the above apart from Sgt Jenkins were either awarded the DFC or DFM before the end of the War. This flight on 11th / 12th June 1943 appears to have been the crew's first operational flight with 10 Squadron. Sgt Jenkins appears to have left the crew shortly after this minor flak incident as his name does not then appear with this crew in their operational flying later in the month. His name is not full recorded in the squadron records for this date.
Halifax DT541 was to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge as new by 76 Squadron at Middleton St. George on 1st October 1942. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that on the night of 16th / 17th January 1943 it sustained unspecified Cat.B/FB damage, the 76 Squadron orb makes no mention of any damage and there is no AM Form 1180 that could relate to this aircraft being damaged in a flying accident; add to that DT541 is listed as being flown on Ops on the night of 17th / 18th January 1943 so I doubt this damage assessment relates to DT541 at all. The AM Form 78 states this damage was the downgraded to Re.Cat.Ac and it was repaired on site and once repairs were complete it was returned to 76 Squadron on 4th February 1943 who had since moved to Linton on Ouse. On 28th February 1943 the aircraft was flown to English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury for modifications and was returned to 76 Squadron on 20th March 1943 once complete. On 21st April 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 10 Squadron at Melbourne. It sustained minor Cat.A/FB battle damage on 28th May 1943 and 12th June 1943 that saw repairs on site made each time. On 14th August 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall. During a training flight on 24th November 1943 the aircraft swung on take off from Riccall airfield which saw the aircraft badly damaged when the undercarriage collapsed and a fire developed. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 30th November 1943.
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