Halifax HR749 damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.
This 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith at 23.33hrs on 28th June 1943 to undertake an operational flight to bomb Cologne. The aircraft was hit by flak while over the target at 01.53hrs and received damage bomb they bombed the target area through thick cloud from 15,000ft so could not see their result. The crew were able to bring the aircraft safely back to base and landed at Snaith in the early hours of 29th June 1943 at 04.11hrs. The second pilot was attached to 51 Squadron for this operational flight to gain operational experience.
Pilot - F/O Thomas William Albert Hutton RAFVR (124855).
Navigator - F/O William Henry Lewis Sydney Way RAFVR (129744).
Air Bomber - F/O Paul Barber RAFVR (129476).
Wireless Operator - Sgt Dennis Roy Perrin RAFVR (1215283).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Royston James Child RAFVR (1450303).
Air Gunner - P/O William Inverarity RCAF (J/21538).
Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Jean Robert Theobald Godin RCAF (R/96327).
Second Pilot - Sgt D J E Price.
Thomas Hutton received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 3rd July 1942, rising to F/O on 3rd January 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 26th January 1944. He was made a PoW on 6th January 1944. For earlier service with 35 Squadron and while in the rank of Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 8th May 1945 (with effect of 4th January 1944). Postwar he remained in the RAF being promoted to W/Co and was awarded the OBE on 1st January 1965. He was promoted to G/Cpt on 1st January 1966 and became Station Commander of RAF Seletar in the same year.
William Way was born in London in 1923. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 28th August 1942 and was promoted to F/O on 28th February 1943. After his death he was awarded the DFC for service with 35 Squadron but the notification was published in the London Gazette on 8th May 1945 and the notification states he was in the rank of Acting F/Lt at the time (but with effect from 4th January 1944).
Paul Barber received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 19th September 1942 rising to F/O on probation on 19th March 1943 and F/Lt on 19th September 1944. He was made a PoW on 6th January 1944. For earlier service with 35 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 8th May 1945 (with effect of 4th January 1944). He remained in the RAF after the war, as F/Lt on 1st January 1949 he was received a King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air and later the OBE, Gazetted on 11th June 1966 in The Queen's Birthday Honours List. He retired on 2nd May 1970 while in the rank of W/Co.
Royston Child received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 18th July 1943. For earlier service with 35 Squadron he was awarded the DFC but the notification was published in the London Gazette after his death on 8th May 1945 (but with effect of 4th January 1944).
Dennis Perrin received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 17th June 1943 rising to F/O on 17th December 1943 and F/Lt on 17th June 1945. He was made a PoW on 6th January 1944. For earlier service with 35 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 8th May 1945 (with effect of 4th January 1944). He remained in the RAF after the war rising through the ranks and he too was awarded the OBE, Gazetted on 1st January 1976 while in the rank of W/Co. He retired as W/Co on 19th January 1976.
William Hunter Inverarity was born in July 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia but was living in Tudor, Alberta when he enlisted into the RCAF in June 1940. He originally served as ground crew but re-mustered as aircrew in 1942. He awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 8th May 1945 (with effect of 4th January 1944) for service with 35 Squadron. He died in December 2013.
The above (except second pilot Sgt Price) were posted to 35 Squadron PFF on 28th August 1943. On the night of 5th / 6th January 1944 all of the above were flying together in Halifax HX160 on Ops to Stettin when the aircraft was attacked before reaching the target area by a night-fighter, and over the target area the starboard wing caught fire. Four of the crew were able to bale out and became PoWs while Child (20), Way and Godin (24) were killed and are now buried in Poznan Cemetery, Poland. Inverarity sustained a broken pelvis on landing and Godin was wounded in the legs by canon fire from the night-fighter but survived.
Halifax HR749 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was flown to 8 M.U. at Little Rissington on 14th March 1943. On 26th April 1943 the aircraft was taken on charge by 51 Squadron at Snaith. The aircraft was damaged by flak on Ops on 13th May 1943, 20th June 1943 and on 29th June 1943 sustaining Cat.A/FB damage assessments each time and with a repair being carried out on site each time. On 26th July 1943 the aircraft was lost without trace on an operational flight to Essen and the crew of seven were killed. The aircraft was struck off charge on 31st July 1943 having clocked up a total of 118 flying hours.