On the night of 27th / 28th February 1943 the crew of this 408 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational mine laying flight and took off from Leeming at 17.59hrs. The aircraft was slightly damaged by flak in the tail while over the Bochum area, the crew did not release their mines and made a safe landing at Leeming at 22.48hrs with them on board.
Pilot - F/O Arnot Andrew Stewart RNZAF (NZ.413502).
Navigator - Sgt David Duncan Patrick Leitch RAFVR (921693).
Bomb Aimer - F/O George Herbert Lamus RAFVR (121779).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Laurence Stanley Marsden RAFVR (1268458).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Thomas Hamilton RNZAF (NZ.411240).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Allan Hammond RCAF (R/81832).
Air Gunner - Sgt George Iric Pridham RCAF (R/108583).
Halifax DT679 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 408 Squadron at Leeming on 8th December 1942. As a result of the damage sustained on 27th February 1943 Cat.A/FB was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site at Leeming. It was then lost on 30th March 1943 when the then crew failed to return from Ops to Berlin. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork. The aircraft was struck off charge on 5th April 1943.
While training with 1659 HCU on 15th January 1943 Stewart, Marsden and Hamilton were involved in the crash of Halifax R9369 at Leeming. They were soon posted to 408 Squadron. On the night of 11th / 12th March 1943 the first six of those named above were flying Halifax HR656 on Ops to Stuttgart when their aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter. All escaped the aircraft Stewart, Leitch and Marsden were eventually captured and became PoWs. The others managed to evade capture. WO Leitch was later awarded the MBE partly for his actions on this raid but it was not awarded until after the War, and Gazetted on 17th May 1946.
George Lamus received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 10th May 1942 and rose to F/O on 10th November 1942 and later to F/Lt on 10th May 1944. He remained in the
RAF until 21st August 1957.
On the night of 21st / 22nd June 1943 P/O Pridham was flying in 408 Squadron Halifax BB375 on Ops to Krefeld when the aircraft was attacked and badly shot up by a night-fighter.
Two of the crew had been already killed by the time the captain ordered the rest of the crew to bale out with the aircraft on fire. Sgt Pridham made his way forward and while
assisting the pilot his leg was seriously injured by an exploding cannon shell. His pilot, Clifford Reichert RCAF, held the aircraft level and ordered him to leave the aircraft
but the pilot could then not leave the cockpit to make his escape. The aircraft then exploded with the loss of five of the seven crew. Sgt Pridham was admitted to hospital and made a PoW but due to his injuries he was repatriated in 1944.
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