On the night of 24th / 25th June 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Melbourne airfield at 23.05hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Wuppertal.
They bombed the target area at 01.24hrs from 17,000 feet on the PFF target markers. On the return leg just after crossing the English coast the port inner engine caught fire causing minor damage to the aircraft. The crew managed to put out the fire and despite the damage the crew managed to make the return to base and landed at Melbourne at 04.18hrs.
Pilot - Sgt William Leslie Topp RAAF (409773).
Navigator - P/O George Kay RAFVR (135416).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Wilfred King RAFVR (135648).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Dennis Vivian Humberston RAFVR (1330749).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Dove RAFVR (1351778).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Alfred Charles Goss RAFVR (1393915).
Air Gunner - Sgt George Ernest Smith RAFVR (1127350).
All of the above were posted to 148 Squadron later in 1943. All were then killed 8th September 1943 with 148 Squadron in a crash in Greece while on a supply dropping operation while flying Halifax BB435. All are buried in Phaleron War Cemetery.
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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