On the night of 16th / 17th February 1943 the crew of this 408 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Lorient. 408 Squadron crews took off at 18.34hrs.
This crew released their bomb load at 21.08hrs but the aircraft was damaged by flak in the port wing, fuselage and the wireless transmitter and port inner engine constant speed unit was damaged. The aircraft made a safe landing at Leeming at 01.49hrs. Ten days later this crew flew their last operational sortie together as a crew. One of them was taken off operational flying for medical reasons leading the crew to split up.
Pilot - Sgt R L R Wright.
? - F/Sgt R Livermore. (Possibly Navigator - Sgt Texas Roy Livermore RCAF (R/100909)).
Bomb Aimer - F/O George Herbert Lamus RAFVR (121779).
? - Sgt J W Unilowski.
Air Gunner - Sgt Benjamin Douglas Boynton RCAF (R/110387).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Lloyd G Christmas RCAF (R/84416).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John Allan Hammond RCAF (R/81832).
Halifax DT797 was built to contract B.982938/39 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 408 Squadron at Leeming on 6th Febrary 1943. As a result of battle damage sustained on 17th February 1943 minor Cat.A/FB damage resulted and it would have been repaired on site at Leeming. It was lost on Ops on 2nd March 1943 when it was shot down over Holland. Cat.E(m) damage resulted and all but one of the then crew was killed. The aircraft was struck off charge on 9th March 1943.
On the night of 11th / 12th March 1943 Lamus and Hammond were flying in Halifax HR656 on Ops to Stuttgart when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter. All escaped the aircraft and both managed to evade capture. George Lamus had received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 10th May 1942 and rose to F/O on 10th November 1942 and later to F/Lt on 10th May 1944. He remained in the RAF until 21st August 1957.
Benjamin Boynton was awarded the DFM for service with 408 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th August 1943 mainly for his actions on 29th / 30th May 1943 flying in Halifax JB969 with F/Sgt Grubert as his pilot on Ops to Wuppertal. The citation for his DFM reads.. "This airman has taken part in operational sorties against targets which include Cologne, Kiel, Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Dortmund. While returning from Wuppertal in May 1943, the aircraft in which he was flying as rear gunner was attacked on two occasions by enemy fighters. The first attack was successfully evaded on instructions given to the captain by Sergeant Boynton. The second enemy aircraft attacked a little later and during the ensuing engagement this airman gave an able commentary, again enabling successful evasive action to be taken. At the same time he engaged his assailant with his guns and shot the enemy aircraft down in flames. During this combat Sergeant Boynton maintained great coolness. His own aircraft suffered no damage and made a safe return."
Lloyd Christmas was posted to 434 Squadron on formation and was made a PoW on one of their first operational sorties on 17th August 1943 in Halifax EB276, which was the squadron's first operational loss.
Texas Roy Livermore had earlier served with 425 Squadron but was posted to 408 Squadron just prior to them beginning operational flying. He was killed on 23rd / 24th May 1943 when 408 Squadron Halifax JB841 crashed in Germany. His body was one of five that were recovered after the crash but it was not possible to identify him so he is buried in the grave of an unknown airman and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
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