On the night of 9th / 10th July 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft took off from Elvington airfield at 23.14hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen.
The crew bombed the target area from 19,000 feet. The aircraft received slight damage by flak to the fuselage and starboard inner engine but the crew landed safely at Elvington at 05.12hrs.
Pilot - F/O Farquhar Duncan Matheson RNZAF (NZ.392057).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Kenneth Percy Froud RAFVR (974822).
Navigator - P/O David Tudor Davies RAFVR (139303).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Stuart Albert James North RAFVR (1318678).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Raymond Arthur Mitchell RAFVR (1233734).
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry James McAdam RAF (547995).
Air Gunner - Sgt Roger Vincent Slater RAFVR (1589390).
All of the above apart from Sgt McAdam were killed on 26th July 1943 flying Halifax JB838 on Ops to Essen. All are buried in Bergen Op Zoom Cemetery.
Sgt McAdam was killed on 1st September 1943 when Halifax JD418 failed to return from Ops to Berlin. He is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
Halifax DT643 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was received by 12 MU on 26th November 1942. It was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Elvington on 20th December 1942. As a result of battle damage sustained 2nd March 1943 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment which saw it repaired on site and returned to 77 Squadron on 26th March 1943. It received Cat.Ac/FA damage on 1st May 1943 when the tail wheel broke on landing. A further repair on site was carried out and it was returned to 77 Squadron on 23rd June 1943. On 10th July 1943 it again received battle damage that saw a Cat.A/FB damage assessment and a repair was made. The aircraft was transferred to 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit at Swinderby on 9th September 1943 but was then quickly transferred to 1661 H.C.U. at Winthorpe on 30th September 1943. In October 1943 1661 H.C.U. ceased operating the type so this aircraft moved to 1662 H.C.U. at Blyton on 2nd December 1943. On 14th January 1944 it was slightly damaged in a flying accident that saw Cat.Ac/FA damage be the assessment. A repair on site was made and it was returned to 1662 H.C.U. on 5th April 1944. On 2nd September 1944 the aircraft crashed near Caenby Corner, Lincolnshire. The damage was assessed as being Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage and the aircraft was written off. It was struck off charge on 11th September 1944.
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