Halifax EB241 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 9th / 10th July 1943 this aircraft was one belonging to 427 Squadron that had carried out an operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen, this crew set out from Leeming airfield at 23.00hrs and bombed the target area but sustained minor flak damage. The crew made a safe return to base landing at Leeming at 06.10hrs.
Pilot - P/O Donald MacKenzie Arnot RCAF (J/13470).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Reve Achille Nicolas Rondelet RAFVR (1424868).
Navigator - Sgt Lloyd William Wesley Jones RCAF (R/144260).
Bomb Aimer - P/O William Victor Thom RCAF (J/21028).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Raymond Dawson RAFVR (1129686).
Air Gunner - Sgt Roland Otis Nickerson RCAF (R/137533).
Air Gunner - Sgt R A Paterson RCAF (R/90871).
The first six named above were flying together with 427 Squadron on 22nd January 1944 on Ops to Magdeburg in Halifax LL139 when the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter and exploded. F/O Thom was thrown clear and managed to deploy a parachute and survived to become a PoW. All the others were killed and are now buried in Berlin War Cemetery.