On the night of 29th / 30th March 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft took off from Elvington to undertake an operational flight to bomb Berlin. The aircraft was slightly damaged by flak but they were able to land safely at Elvington in the early hours.
Pilot - F/Sgt Francis John O'Grady RAAF (411811).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Geoffrey Herbert Garrard RAFVR (1330009).
Navigator - F/O Bernard Chistopher McGrath RAFVR (120663).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Cecil Clarke RAFVR (1497822).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie Walter Westwood RAFVR (924327).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Alfred Manning RAFVR (1300611).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Basil Anderson RAFVR (955870).
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.
O'Grady, Garrard, McGrath, Manning, Clarke and Anderson were flying together in Halifax JD152 on 28th May 1943 when it failed to return and was found to have crashed at Lavesum, near Haltein, Germany. All were killed and are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Francis O'Grady was born on 26th March 1920 in Sydney and enlisted into the RAAF there.
Leslie Westwood received a commission on 27th August 1943 (158801) to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He was made a PoW as a result of failing to return from Ops on 22nd / 23rd October 1943 in Halifax JB856.
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