Lancaster ED650 damaged on Ops, returned to Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.
On the night of 11th / 12th June 1943 the crew of this 101 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb a target at Dusseldorf. The aircraft took off
from Holme on Spalding Moor airfield at 22.40hrs. On the run into the target the aircraft was struck by flak which caused damage to the main planes, engines and fuselage. The wireless operator received arm injuries and the pilot was received bruising. Despite the damage the crew pressed on and released their bomb load over the target area from 19.500 feet at 01.25hrs. A safe landing was made at 03.35hrs at Holme on Spalding Moor.
Pilot - P/O Dennis Herbert Brook RAFVR (148571).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Angus Clifford Keightley RAFVR (1078101).
Navigator - Sgt Gwyn Hopkin RAFVR (1392079).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Thomas Edmund Wynn Latter RAFVR (1396732).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Arthur Reginald Tippett RAFVR (1312466). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Norman Ellis RAFVR (1454670).
Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Henson RAFVR (1578815).
Lancaster ED650 was built to contract B.69274/40 by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd. at Chadderton and was taken on charge by 101 Squadron at Holme on Spalding Moor on 20th February 1943. As a result of battle damage sustained on 21st April 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site within days. It was damaged by flak on 11th June 1943 on Ops to Dusseldorf with pretty much the same crew as listed above, this again saw Cat.A/FB damage and it was again repaired on site. On 22nd June 1943 it failed to return from Ops to Krefeld. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 30th June 1943 having clocked up a total flying time of 172 hours. Sgt Tippett was still recovering from his injuries so was not involved. Everyone else listed above was on board ED650 and were killed, they are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Sgt Tippett later received a commission and would join 550 Squadron by the end of 1943. In 1944 he contracted pluerisy which took him off operational duty for some time.