Halifax DT568 damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.
At 19.51hrs on 3rd April 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield to carry out an opertional flight to bomb Essen. While over the target area the aircraft was hit by flak and received damage to the starboard outer engine after being coned by several searchlights, the pilot took evasive action diving down to 14,000 feet to escape the beams. The crew were able to return to Snaith airfield and land safely at 00.31hrs on 4th April 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Douglas Frederick Inch RAFVR (1271750).
Navigator - Sgt Henry Riley RAFVR (1079476).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Raymond Frederick Clements RAFVR (124706).
Wireless Operator - F/Sgt Ernest Lee Lancaster RAAF (408770).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Thomas Frederick Hayden RAFVR (1244010).
Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick Peter Dards RAFVR (1691788).
Air Gunner - Sgt Robin Morris Mumme RAFVR (400735).
Robin Mumme had previously served in the Palestine Police and enlisted for RAF service in the Middle East.
Raymond Clements attended Old Haileybury school as a young man. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 22nd June 1942 and rose to F/O on 22nd December 1942. CWGC list him as being a wireless operator whilst the squadron ORB and Sgt Lancaster's casualty file lists Clements as being the bomb aimer.
Ernest Lancaster was born on 18th March 1916 in Kilarney, Queensland, Australia and enlisted into the RAAF on 23rd May 1941. While training at 15 OTU on 11th September 1942 he was flying in Wellington HE102 which crashed near Hampstead Norris after overshooting on landing, Sgt Lancaster received injuries to his right hand and face but recovered and completed his training.
On the night of 16th / 17th April 1943 this crew were flying in Halifax DT670 on Ops to bomb Plzen. The aircraft sustained damage to one of the port engines by flak before it reached the target and on the return trip while over France it was attacked and shot down by a night-fighter with control being lost the pilot gave the order to abandon the aircraft and some of the crew were able to bale out. Sadly five the seven listed above were killed, Sgt Lancaster baled out but was seriously injured and died in hospital soon after arrival. He is buried in Choloy War Cemetery, the other four are buried in Chalons-sur-Marne, France. Sgt Dards became a PoW while Sgt Riley evaded capture and made it back to the UK later in 1943.
Halifax DT568 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electic Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was awaiting collection on 23rd October 1942. The aircraft was initially taken on charge by the T.F.U. on 24th October 1942 at Defford but on 31st December 1942 it was transferred to 77 Squadron at Elvington. On 4th March 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 51 Squadron at Snaith. As a result of the damage sustained on 4th April 1943 minor Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment that saw it repaired on site locally. On 13th June 1943 it failed to return from Ops to Bochum that saw six of it's then seven man crew killed. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork.