Halifax HR715 damaged by flak, returned to Lissett airfield.
On the night of 29th / 30th March 1943 the crew of this 158 Squadron were to undertake an operational flight to bomb Berlin. They took off from Lissett at 21.53hrs but out bound over Esbjerg, Denmark the aircraft was hit by flak. This knocked out the port outer engine and damaged the fuselage, wings and mid upper turret. The crew jettisoned the bomb load and made an early return to Lissett on three engines, landing at 03.06hrs.
Pilot - W/C Thomas Robertson Hope RAF (27005).
Flight Engineer - P/O Victor Griffiths Hope RAF (50951).
Navigator - P/O Ronald Claude Stemp RAFVR (141802).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Bertram James Warr RAFVR (1391138).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth George Cottrell RAFVR (1272556).
Air Gunner - P/O William James Hanks RAFVR (141765).
Air Gunner - "Sgt C A Garner" (probably Sgt Colin Henry Garner RAF (530348).
On 30th May 1943 Sgt Colin Garner was killed flying in 35 Squadron Halifax W7876 on ops. to Wuppertal. He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery.
On 30th May 1943 F/Sgt Cottrell was made a POW when 158 Squadron Halifax HR840 failed to return from ops. to Wuppertal.
Thomas Hope was awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron, Gazetted in July 1943. On 10th August 1943 W/C Hope DFC was made a POW when Halifax HR938 failed to return from ops. to Nuremberg.
William Hanks was awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron in November 1943.
Victor Hope was awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron in December 1943.
On 3rd April 1943 P/O Stemp and Sgt Warr were killed when 158 Squadron Halifax DT635 failed to return from ops to Essen. They are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Halifax HR715 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. On 16th February 1943 it was flown to 18 MU at Dumfries. On 12th March 1943 it was taken on charge by 158 Squadron at Lissett where it's squadron code was initially "NP-A". As a result of the battle damage sustained on 30th March 1943 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the assessment and a repair on site began on 5th April 1943. The repair was complete on 29th May 1943 and it was returned to 158 Squadron but it's squadron code then changed to "NP-E". On 29th September 1943 it crashed into the North Sea on Ops from Bochum killing it's then crew of seven. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 30th September 1943 having clocked up a total of 206 hours in the air.