Halifax HR735 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 22.44hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area from 17,500 feet at 01.11hrs but while over the target area the aircraft received flak damage to the mainplanes. Despite this damage the crew flew back to base and landed safely at Lissett at 04.10hrs.
Pilot - Sgt John Yorke Clarke RAAF (415119).
Flight Engineer - Sgt George Rippingale RAFVR (1379717).
Navigator - Sgt Harold Middleton Robinson RAFVR (1381425).
Air Bomber - Sgt John Hubert James Dix RAFVR (1320215).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Erid Wood Brearley RAFVR (1035032).
Air Gunner - Sgt George Hildred Hirst RAFVR (1493738).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Thomas RAFVR (1313122).
On 28th August 1943 P/O Clarke, Sgt Rippingale and Sgt Thomas were killed when Halifax JD298 failed to return from Ops to Nuremberg and are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery. Sgt Robinson was made a POW. Sgt’s Dix, Brearley and Hirst evaded capture.
Halifax HR735 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was flown to 48 MU at Hawarden on 27th February 1943. On 29th March 1943 it was taken on charge by 158 Squadron at Lissett. As a result of damage sustained in the mid-air collision on 15th April 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment that saw it repaired on site. It sustained battle damage on Ops on 28th May 1943 that again saw a Cat.A/FB damage assessment and it was repaired on site. On 22nd June 1943 the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Krefeld with the loss of it's then seven man crew. Cat.E(m) damage was the assessment recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 24th June 1943 having clocked up a total of 115.20 flying hours from new.