Halifax DT793 damaged by flak, returned to Elvington airfield.
On 20th / 21st April 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Stettin and took from Elvington at 21.33hrs. The aircraft bombed the target area but on the return flight and while flying at just 200ft the aircraft was hit by flak from flak ships in the "Great Belt" area of Denmark. They were able to make a safe return to base and landed at Elvington at 05.18hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Thomas Matheson Moran RCAF (R/105579).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Desmond Mahony RAF (577547).
Navigator - Sgt Leonard Allen Stimpson RAFVR (1312924).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Geoffrey Charles Fenton RAFVR (127294).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Ronald George Miles RAFVR (1377449).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Anthony Pasqual RAFVR (1547158).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Thomson Murray RAFVR (1467008).
Thomas Moran was born on 27th May 1920. While training at 1652 H.C.U. at Riccall on 18th March 1943 he was a pupil pilot of Halifax L9616 that crashed on landing there. He was soon posted to 77 Squadron.
Halifax DT793 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Elvington on 21st February 1943. As a result of flak damage on 30th March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage would have been the damage assessment that was repaired on site. No mention of the incident is given on it's AM Form 78. As a result of flak damage on 21st April 1943 Cat.Ac/FB battle damage occurred on Ops to Stettin. This incident is on the AM Form 78 and the damage was repaired on site with it being returned to 77 Squadron on 16th May 1943. On 26th May 1943 and then on 4th July 1943 minor Cat.A/FB battle damage was sustained on Ops. The aircraft was repaired on site each time and it was returned to 77 Squadron use, though neither is on the AM Form 78. On 7th September 1943 it failed to return from an operational flight to Munich and was lost without trace. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork. The aircraft was struck off charge on 10th September 1943 having clocked up a total of 269 flying hours.
All of the above apart from P/O Fenton were flying together in Halifax DT632 on Ops to Duisburg on the night of 12th/13th May 1943 and failed to return, their aircraft crashed at Ahaus. All are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Geoffrey Fenton received a commission on (127294) 20th July 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emegency) and rose
to F/O on probation (war subs) on 20th January 1943. He was awarded the DFC while serving with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 30th June 1944.
He was late promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 20th July 1944. He died in March 2009 in the Bury St.Edmunds area of Suffolk aged 87.