Halifax DT645(?) damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.
At 19.01hrs on 5th March 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. The damage was only noticed after landing at Snaith airfield at 23.42hrs.
The 51 Squadron records state the aircraft to have been DT654 which cannot be correct as this serial number was not allocated to a Halifax. It was possibly DT645 but even that has a problem if it's AM Form 78 is correct.
Pilot - F/Sgt Ronald Henry Stewart RCAF (R/84046).
Navigator - F/O Wingrave (probably F/O Arthur George Wingrave RAF (120628)).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Horace Alfred Briggs RAFVR (1577617).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Dennis Axtell RAF (626794).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William Robert McBriar RAF (540742).
Air Gunner - Sgt Donald Harold Reid RAFVR (1316069).
Air Gunner - Sgt Frank Malcolm Thompson RAFVR (1289681).
Dennis Axtell was born in Epsom, Surrey in June 1920 and had lived on the Isle of Wight prior to enlisting into the RAF. His wife was originally from Belfast. He was awarded the DFM for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th April 1943, the citation for which reads.."Sgt Axtell has taken part in a large number of operational sorties and four escort patrols. He has always shown consistent keenness, and his fins technical knowledge, exceptional initiative, resourcefulness and skill have proved a big asset to the completion of many, successful sorties." He is also commemorated on a the St.Helens Church Memorial, Isle of Wight.
Frank Thompson received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 1st April 1943 (144266).
William McBriar received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 5th April 1943 (51909).
Halifax DT645 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was received by 45 MU on 27th November 1942. It was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Elvington on 20th December 1942. As a result of battle damage sustained on 8th February 1943 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site on Elvington. The aircraft returned to 77 Squadron charge on 24th February 1943 but was then transferred to 51 Squadron at Snaith. If it sustained battle damage on Ops on 5th March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and a repair on site would have been made. The problem is that the AM Form 78 states that the transfer between 77 Squadron and 51 Squadron took place on 8th March 1943; 3 days after it was damaged in use by them. A repair on site at Snaith was carried out and it was returned to 51 Squadron use by the end of March 1943. It was lost on 13th May 1943 when it failed to return from Duisburg. The crew of seven were killed. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 17th March 1943.
P/O Stewart (21), Sgt Thompson (34), Sgt McBriar (23) and F/Sgt Axtell (22) were killed on 17th April 1943 when Halifax HR784 on ops to Plzen when the aircraft crashed in the Somme area of France. They are buried in Maucourt French National Cemetery, France.
Sgt Horace Briggs was killed on 1st May 1943 when Halifax HR733 failed to return from Ops to Essen. CWGC list no personal information for him. He is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
F/O Wingrave was probably Arthur Wingrave and he received a commission to P/O on probation on 19th January 1942 rising to F/O on probation on 1st October 1942 and F/Lt on 19th January 1944.