On the night of 27th / 28th May 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Melbourne airfield at 22.48hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Essen. The crew bombed the target area from 17,500 feet at 01.00hrs. During the course of the night the aircraft received flak damage in the starboard wing with a blade of the propeller on the starboard outer engine also receiving damage. Despite the damage the crew managed to make the return flight to Melbourne and landed there at 03.51hrs. The second pilot was flying with this crew for operational experience prior to beginning operational flying with his own crew.
Pilot - Sgt Paul Windermere Wilson Brunton RNZAF (NZ.413541).
Navigator - Sgt Stanley Ralph Gillmar RAFVR (1336894).
Bomb Aimer - P/O R Cooper.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert Edwin Wright RAFVR (1378296).
Air Gunner - Sgt Harold Pasquill RAFVR (1077989).
Flight Engineer - Sgt James Millar RAFVR (617123).
Air Gunner - Sgt Albert William Booth RAFVR (1424526).
Second Pilot - Sgt William Leslie Topp RAAF (409773).
William Topp was later posted to 148 Squadron and was killed on 8th September 1943 when Halifax BB435 crashed on a supply dropping operational flight over Greece when the aircraft flew into a wooded area. He is buried at Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece.
Sgt Booth was killed flying with 10 Squadron on 29th June 1943 in Halifax HR697 on Ops to Cologne. He is buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery.
Paul Brunton was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. The citation reads.."Pilot Officer Brunton, now on instructional duties, has flown a large number of operational sorties. Although, on several occasions, his, aircraft has been riddled by anti aircraft fire and he has several encounters with enemy aircraft, Pilot Officer Bruntons’ enthusiasm for operational flying remains unabated. Possessing high courage, skill and initiative, he invariably displays a fine fighting spirit." He died in New Zealand in November 2013.
Stanley Gillmar was awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 7th June 1943 and rose to F/O on 7th December 1943 and F/Lt on 7th June 1945. During the War he also served with 35 Squadron PFF. Post-war he remained in the RAF, flying in Canberras with 80 squadron until relinquishing his commission of F/Lt on 18th June 1963.
Halifax DT786 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge as new by 10 Squadron at Melbourne on 4th February 1943. The aircraft sustained battle minor damage on 28th May 1943 that saw a Cat.A/FB damage assessment. On 12th June 1943 it sustained Cat.A/FB when the nose perspex was broken following a bird strike on Ops to Dusseldorf. On 25th June 1943 it sustained Cat.A/FB damage on Ops to Wuppertal when the port inner engine caught fire resulting in minor damage. On 18th August 1943 it sustained Cat.A/FB battle damage on Ops to Peenemunde. After each of these incidents repairs on site were carried out. The aircraft was transferred to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor on 29th January 1944 and then to 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit at Langer on 4th October 1944. During November 1944 1669 H.C.U. ceased operating this aircraft variant. On 20th February 1945 this aircraft was flown to Pilkington Bros. Ltd., at Doncaster for a major repair but was subsequently struck off charge on 6th March 1945.
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