Halifax HR664 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 27th / 28th March 1943 the crew of this 408 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Berlin, they took off from Leeming airfield at 20.01hrs.
The aircraft was attacked by an Me109 but no damage resulted to the Halifax. The Halifax was slightly damaged by flak but the crew were able to return to the UK and are believed to have made a crash landing at Leeming on 28th March 1943 at 04.26hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Edward John Troy RAFVR (605449).
Navigator - Sgt James Denholm RAFVR (1347901).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Bryce Domigan RAFVR (1342347).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J H McDonald.
Air Gunner - Sgt John Irvin Labow RCAF (R/96223)
Air Gunner - Sgt George Nelson Acton RCAF (R/115653).
Flight Engineer - P/O Andrew Franklin Scanes RCAF (C/18817).
Halifax HR664 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett and was awaiting collection on 31st December 1942. It was taken on charge by 408 Squadron at Leeming on 4th January 1943. As a result of flak damage sustained on 28th March 1943 Cat.B/FB damage was the damage assessment that then saw it dismantled and transported to Handley Page Ltd. at York Aircraft Repair Depot (Y.A.R.D.) for a repair in works. On 21st September 1943 the repair was complete and it was awaiting collection. On 25th September 1943 it was flown to 45 MU at Kinloss. On 6th November 1943 it was taken on charge by 78 Squadron at Breighton but on 12th November 1943 it was transferred to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor. On 10th January 1944 it crashed into the River Ouse, near what was then Fairfield Sanitorium, at few miles north of York. All eight on board were sadly killed and one member of the crew is unfortunately still regarded as missing. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 21st January 1944. It had clocked up 257 hours total flying time.
Some of the dates for the postings in and out of 408 Squadron given elsewhere for Sgt Troy on the internet do not seem correct. What I have located from original records is that Sgt Troy and his crew were posted from 22 O.T.U. to 1659 H.C.U. on 4th January 1943, they were then posted from 1659 H.C.U. to 408 Squadron on 19th February 1943. The crew as listed above last flew operationally together with 408 Squadron on the night of 20th / 21st April 1943. Troy must have left 408 Squadron soon after late-April 1943 as he does not feature operationally again. What happened to him I have not yet learnt.
P/O James Denholm was killed on 20th June 1943 when 408 Squadron Halifax JD107 crashed in France on an operational flight. He was 21 years old and is buried Bretteville sur Laize Cemetery, France.
Sgt Domigan was flying in Halifax DT769 on 14th July 1943 when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter over Holland. He initially evaded capture but was eventually captured and became a PoW.
P/O Scanes was killed flying with 408 Squadron on 22nd October 1943 when Lancaster DS778 crashed in Germany. He was twenty five years old and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery.
P/O George Acton was killed flying with 408 Squadron on 26th June 1943 when Halifax JB858 crashed in Germany. He was thirty one years old and is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
John Labow was known by his middle name of Irvin, he was born on 18th June 1918 in Beachburg, Ontario, Canada. He was the son of John and Jemima Pearl (nee Brennan) Labow. After leaving school at fourteen he begun working as a farm labourer in Beachburg but in 1938 started working as a truck driver in Pembroke, Ontario. He enlisted for RCAF service in Ottawa on 20th May 1941 and trained as an air gunner. He was posted to the UK in November 1942 after completing his training in Canada and was eventually posted to 1659 HCU at Topcliffe on 5th January 1943. He was later posted to 408 Squadron on 19th February 1943. He was the mid upper gunner on board Halifax JD174 in July 1943 when he bailed out of Halifax JD174 over the North Yorkshire Moors. He was uninjured but remained at 408 Squadron, unlike many of the crew who were posted to 405 Squadron. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 14th August 1943 rising to F/O on 14th February 1944. F/O Labow RCAF (J/18279) was flying in Lancaster LL633 on the night of 30th / 31st March 1944, they had left Linton on Ouse airfield at 22.04hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Nuremberg, Germany. As the aircraft approached the target area it was attacked three times by night-fighters and was badly damaged. F/O Labow occupied the rear turret for this flight and was heard by other members of the crew to be still firing his guns during the third attack while other members of the crew were preparing to bale out. Sadly he and two others died as a result of this incident. Five of the crew became prisoners of war after they baled out before the aircraft crashed near Michelav near Schweinfurt, Germany. Irvin Labow was initially buried at Weimarschmieden but is now buried at Durnbach War Cemetery and was twenty five years old. In his Bomber Command losses book Mr William Chorley notes that F/O Labow had flown twenty five operational flights prior to this one, he was clearly an experienced air gunner.