Halifax HR718 damaged in the air, landed at Lissett airfield.
On the night of 27th / 28th May 1943 this 158 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Essen and took off from Lissett airfield at 22.41hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area from 18,000 feet at 01.09hrs but while over the target area the aircraft received flak damage to the the rudder controls, the port inner engine, fuselage and the hydraulics.
Despite this damage the crew flew back to base and landed safely at Lissett at 03.07hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Jack Cooper RCAF (R/96182).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Harry Simpson RAFVR (1183567).
Navigator - F/O Wallace Clifford Luther RAFVR (125696).
Air Bomber - F/O Derrick Roy Woodroffe RAFVR (127130).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Horrace Derrick Young RAFVR (1376146).
Air Gunner - Sgt Fred Dykes RAFVR (987897).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Mason Ellis RCAF (R/95905).
On the night of 29th / 30th May 1943 this crew failed to return from Ops to Wuppertal in Halifax HR717, all were killed and are buried in Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.
Halifax HR718 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd. and was delivered to 12 M.U. at Kirkbride on 16th February 1943. The aircraft was taken on charge as new by 158 Squadron at Lissett on 22nd March 1943. As a result of battle damage sustained on 28th May 1943 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment and after a repair on site it was returned to 158 Squadron on 11th July 1943. On 23rd August 1943 the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Berlin with three killed and four becoming PoWs. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork in the UK and the aircraft was struck off charge on 26th August 1943 having clocked up a total of 135 flying hours from new.