Halifax DT703 damaged by flak, returned to Pocklington airfield.
On the night of 4th / 5th May 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were flying an operational flight to Dortmund and took off from Pocklington airfield at 22.46hrs. At 23.38hrs the aircraft was fired upon by flak guns on ships on the North Sea and received minor damage to the fuselage. They continued to the target area and released their bomb load from 20,500 feet, they were also able to make a safe return to England and landed safely at Pocklington at 03.29hrs.
Pilot - Sgt John Arnold Chappell RAAF (415118).
Navigator - Sgt Geoffrey Lee RAFVR (921759).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt K M Ramsden (Possibly Sgt Kenneth McLeod Ramsden RAFVR (1091658).
Air Gunner - Sgt Donald Zander RCAF (R/115850).
Air Gunner - Sgt Leonard George Smart RAFVR (1324892).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Harris (Savukevitch) RAFVR (1558937).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt John James Jones RAFVR (1319384).
On 31st August 1943 F/Sgt Zander, F/Sgt Chappell, Sgts Lee, Jones, Harris and Smart were flying in Halifax JD128 on Ops with 102 Squadron when the aircraft crashed in Germany with the loss of all the crew. All are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery. Sgt Savukevitch served under the name of Sgt John "Harris" while Sgt Smart was still just eighteen years old.
If Sgt Ramsden was the gentleman I suggest then he later received a commission and was awarded the DFC for service with 78 Squadron.
Halifax DT703 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge as new by 158 Squadron at Rufforth on 29th December 1942. On 28th February 1943 the aircraft landed tail first at Lissett on the squadron move there. The aircraft was repaired on site by a team from Handley Page and on 17th March 1943 it rejoined 158 Squadron. On 15th April 1943 this aircraft was transferred to 102 Squadron at Pocklington. As a result of flak damage sustained on 27th April 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. On 5th May 1943 it sustained minor flak damage on Ops to Dortmund that saw Cat.A/FB again be the damage assessment. It was swiftly repaired on site. On 24th May 1943 it was attacked by an enemy aircraft on Ops to Dortmund that saw damage inflicted to the port wing. Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment. It was again repaired on site and was returned to 102 Squadron charge on 26th June 1943. On 9th September 1943 it was transferred to 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit at Wigsley but on 30th September 1943 it was transferred to 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit at Winthorpe. On 2nd December 1943 it was transferred to 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit at Lindholme. On 17th July 1944 the aircraft's AM Form 78 states that it was in need of a repair on site by 60 MU. This repair may well not have been completed as on 7th September 1944 the damage was listed as Re.Cat.E on the AM Form 78 and it was struck off charge on 11th September 1944. It had flown a total of 482 hours from new.