Halifax DT638 damaged on Ops, landed at Snaith airfield.
At 18.32hrs on 3rd March 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield to carry out an operational flight to bomb Hamburg. They made a successful drop of most of their bomb load from 15,000 feet over the target area but eight 30lb incendiary bombs hung-up in the bomb bay. The squadron records do not mention anything out of the ordinary happening over the target area but there is an AM Form 1180 for this aircraft on this date that states that while over the target area the aircraft was struck by falling bombs from a higher flying aircraft at 21.25hrs and one lodged in the wing. On the return trip the crew managed to jettison their hung-up bombs and landed at Snaith at 01.02hrs.
The 51 Squadron records list an almost identical incident where an incendiary lodged inside the wing having dropped from a higher flying aircraft on the night of 5th / 6th March 1943 in Halifax W7772 and being flown by the same crew. The AM Form 78 for DT638 does state that Cat.Ac/FB damage did result on 4th March 1943. There is no damage listed for W7772 on 5th March 1943 but if it only sustained Cat.A/FB damage it won't be listed. As the documentary evidence suggests there were two very similar incidents I include webpages for both until I can rule one out as being false information.
Pilot - P/O Norman Garforth RAFVR (135682).
Navigator - F/O Ralph Ashley Shonk RCAF (J/10406).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Alexander Aloyisius McGregor RAF (617161).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Benjamin Hounslow RAFVR (934162).
Flight Engineer - Sgt W R Morris RAFVR (958188).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Donald John Cameron RCAF (R/99776).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Gordon Carrington RAF (514361).