On the evening of 18th February 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft took off from Elvington at 18.48hrs and were undertaking an operational flight to lay mines in the waters around the Frisian Islands. The Halifax was badly shot by flak ships before dropping the mines but they released their mines successfully. The crew were able to bring the aircraft back to base and landed safely at Elvington at 22.59hrs. Damage was found on the port rudder, bomb doors, port undercarriage, rear turret, fuselage and the hydraulics were also damaged.
Pilot - F/Sgt Sydney Arthur Maslin RAFVR (1359213).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Eric Reginald Crane RAFVR (902764).
Navigator - F/O Frederick Alfred Dungey RAFVR (128406).
Bomb Aimer - P/O John William Annetts RAFVR (128013).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt George Curry RAFVR (1101867).
Air Gunner - Sgt W Lewis.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Joseph Dunseath RAF (965257).
F/Sgt George Curry was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron on 14th May 1943. He received a commission on 22nd March 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation. Post-war he remained in the RAF until 1964.
Frederick Dungey received a commission on 18th July 1942 and rose to F/O on 18th January 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th July 1943. He was later Mentioned in Despatches on 14th June 1945. He remained in the RAF until 1957.
Eric Crane received a commission on 30th September 1943. He was later posted to 102 Squadron and awarded the DFC for service with them, Gazetted on 15th August 1944.
Sydney Maslin was granted a commission on 20th April 1943 and was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th July 1943, the citation for his DFM reads.. "F/Sgt Maslin has participated in a large number of operational sorties, and has at all times shown a complete disregard for his personal safety when attacking some of the most heavily defended German targets.” By the time notification of his DFM was printed in the London Gazette he had already been granted a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 20th April 1943. By August 1943 he was instructing at 1652 HCU, on 24th August 1943 he was in Halifax W7806 that crash landed near Sherburn in Elmet. He survived the War having risen to F/O on 20th October 1943 and F/Lt on 20th April 1945. He died in Exeter in March 2009.
F/Sgt Dunseath was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th July 1943. The citation for his DFM reads.. "F/Sgt Dunseath has completed a large number of successful sorties. An exceptionally skilful air gunner, who is thoroughy painstaking in preparation, his courage and tenacity in attack have been worthy of high praise." He was later made a PoW on 22nd March 1944 when 207 Squadron Lancaster ME666 failed to return from Ops to Frankfurt.
John Annetts received a commission in August 1942. He was posted to 35 Squadron following time with 77 Squadron and on the night of 23rd / 24th August 1943 he was flying in Halifax HR865 which was shot down by a night-fighter before reaching the target of Berlin. All baled out and became PoW's.
Halifax DT736 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury. On 13th January 1943 it was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Elvington. It sustained flak damage on 4th February 1943 (Cat.A/FB damage), 18th February 1943 (Cat.Ac/FB damage), 29th March 1943 (Cat.A/FB damage) and 29th June 1943 (Cat.A/FB damage) with repairs on site carried out each time at Elvington for minor damage. It was also very slightly damaged on 21st March 1943 while on a low level training flight after striking a tree between Croft and Topcliffe that saw a Cat.A/FA damage assessment and a repair on site was also made. The aircraft was transferred to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 4th August 1943. On 29th March 1944 it broke up in the air over Ayrshire while being flown on a training flight, sadly all on board were killed. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was written off. The aircraft was struck off charge on 15th April 1944.
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