Halifax DT797 damaged by flak, returned to Melbourne airfield.

On the night of 3rd / 4th April 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Essen, they took off from Melbourne airfield at 19.47hrs and bombed the target area from 16,500 feet at 22.00hrs. During the course of the night the aircraft was slightly damaged by flak with holes being made in the front of the wing flap or flaps. Despite the damage the crew were able to make a safe return to base and land at Melbourne airfield at 00.26hrs. All involved in this minor flak incident would be caught up in a serious flying accident on the North York Moors a few weeks later which sadly saw most of them being killed.

Pilot - Sgt Roy Hamilton Geddes RAAF (401939).

Flight Engineer - Sgt William Alexander Dunbar RAF (614225).

Navigator / Bomber - Sgt Thomas Cox RAFVR (1575418).

Navigator / Bomber - Sgt Hubert Stanley Taylor RAFVR (1334645).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert Henry Way RAFVR (1295368).

Air Gunner - Sgt George Frederick Ward RAFVR (1641825).

Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Hart RAFVR (1432995).

Halifax DT787 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Melbourne on 2nd February 1943. As a result of battle damage sustained on 1st March 1943, 4th April 1943, 8th April 1943 and then on 1st May 1943 minor Cat.A/FB damage appears to have resulted each time with a repair on site being made each time. On 30th May 1943 the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Wuppertal with its then crew being killed. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was written off. The aircraft was struck off charge on 31st May 1943.
On the night of 4th / 5th May 1943 this crew were flying Halifax JD105 on an operational flight to bomb Dortmund when the aircraft crashed into Hood Hill, near Thirsk on the return to Yorkshire. Sadly Cox, Taylor, Way and Ward were killed while Geddes, Dunbar and Hart sustained injuries. I have a webpage dedicated to this serious accident with much more information at this link.

Roy Geddes recovered from his injuries and returned to flying with 10 Squadron. On 29th June 1943 he and all but one of his new crew were killed when Halifax HR697 crashed in Holland on an operational flight to Cologne. P/O Geddes was initially buried locally at Venlo Cemetery, Holland but after the War many of the aircrew buried across Holland were re-interred in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Holland. He is also commemorated on a wall memorial in Merbein.

William Dunbar received the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, eventually Gazetted on 1st June 1945 but he was killed on 21st January 1944 when Halifax HX165 crashed in Germany. He is buried in Hanover War Cemetery.

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