Halifax DT545 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On 25th February 1943 the crew of this 76 Squadron aircraft were to undertake an operational flight to bomb Nuremberg and had just taken off at 19.20hrs, the aircraft lost lift immediately after leaving the ground due to an engine failure. In attempting to avoid flying into a wood the pilot made a turn but the port wing stalled and the aircraft struck the ground, breaking the undercarriage. The aircraft crashed just off the boundary and all but one on board escaped injury. Many of this crew were later decorated for service with 76 Squadron.
Halifax DT545 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Company Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered directly to 76 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 1st October 1942. On 14th October 1942 it received minor battle damage on Ops to Kiel. The damage was assessed as being Cat.Ac/FB and it was repaired on site. The aircraft was returned to 76 Squadron charge on 7th December 1942. As a result of the crash at Linton on Ouse on 25th February 1943 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge in early March 1943.
Pilot - Sgt John Edward Sanderson RAFVR (1265549).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Albert Henry Shillcock RAFVR (1022954).
Navigator - Sgt J M B Curtin RAFVR (1381107).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Alfred Edward Robbins RAFVR (1321088).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Harry George Mason Robinson RAAF (412304).
Air Gunner - Sgt Reginald George Morgan RAFVR (1393646). Minor injuries.
Air Gunner - Sgt John Edward Harold Morris RAAF (405489).
Harry Robinson was the son of George Henry and Kathleen Robinson and was born on 22nd September 1919 in Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia. He enlisted into the RAAF on 22nd June 1941 in Sydney and at that time his father was living in Ryde, Sydney. After basic training he recieved postings to 15 OTU, 102 Squadron Conversion Flight and 1658 Conversion Unit before posting to 76 Squadron in November 1942. He made his last flight with them on 6th September 1943 having completed a Tour of operations. He received a commission on 13th February 1943 to the rank of P/O and was promoted to F/O on 13th August 1943. While at 76 Squadron he rose to become Signals Leader and for service with 76 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 12th October 1943. The finely worded citation for his award reads..
"During his tour of operations F/Lt Robinson has been detailed to attack some of the heaviest defended targets in enemy territory. This officer has always shown a high degree of courage, skill and initiative and a fine fighting spirit. He possesses outstanding ability as a wireless operator and a strong sense of duty both in the air and on the ground."
After his time with 76 Squadron he returned to 23 OTU in September 1943 for instructional duties and later received a posting to 156 PFF Squadron on 25th February 1944. He was promoted to Acting F/Lt on 17th March 1944. He was sadly killed on 15th July 1944 flying in Lancaster PA984 on Ops to Revigny and is buried at Ancerville Communal Cemetery, France. He was twenty four years old. CWGC list him as being married with his wife being Dorothy Robinson, of Busselton, Western Australia but his service record held in the National Archives of Australia makes no mention of him being married. Further more he is listed as being single on posting to 23 OTU in September 1943.
John Morris was later awarded the DFC for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943.
John Sanderson received a commission on 14th March 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(142852). For service with 76 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 13th August 1943 when he was in the rank of Acting F/Lt. He was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 25th August 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 23rd December 1943. Having spent time with 18 OTU he was later posted to 1656 HCU at Lindholme probably to instruct. On 24th March 1944 he was the pilot of Halifax DT482 that crashed soon after taking off from Lindholme near Auckley, Doncaster with the loss of the five crew. He is buried in Salendine Nook Baptist Chapelyard, Huddersfield, Yorkshire and was twenty three years old. CWGC list his parents as living in Withington, Manchester at the time of his death but his birth was registered in Huddersfield so I link him as being a Yorkshireman rather than connected with Lancashire. It is also possible that a marriage registration in Darwen, Lancashire in 1941 is his.
Alfred Robbins received a commission on 22nd March 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency), and rose to F/O (war subs) on 22nd September 1943.
For service with 76 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 19th October 1943 (although the London Gazette then printed the notification again on 19th November 1943). By April 1944 he had been posted to 77 Squadron and on 23rd April 1944 he was laying mines in the Baltic in Halifax LL235. The aircraft was shot down by an Me109 and failed to return. He was twenty one years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was married to Ruth Robbins. The following website has further detail about his loss "www.flensted.eu.com/1944056.shtml".
Reginald Morgan was born on 31st July 1923 and enlisted for RAF service on 15th July 1941. He was awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 16th November 1943. He later received a commission on 3rd January 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(170860). He was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 3rd July 1944 and F/Lt (war subs) on 3rd January 1945.
Albert Shillcock was also awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 16th November 1943. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 10th April 1944 (175290) and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 10th October 1944. He may well have served with 214 Squadron before the end of the War. He remained in the RAFVR until relinquishing his commission on 7th September 1954 with effect of 10th February 1954 and retaining the rank of F/O. He was probably born in the Toxteth Park district of what was then Lancashire in 1908 and died in the Prescot district of Lancashire in 1968.
