Halifax HR782 damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.
At 21.18hrs on 20th April 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield to carry out an opertional flight to bomb Stettin. Before the aircraft reached the target it was hit by flak possibly from a flak-ship on the Baltic Sea and the electrical system was damaged, the pilot decided to return to base with the bomb load and landed safely at 05.15hrs on 21st April 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Nicholas Chirgwin Richards RAFVR (1313436).
Navigator - Sgt John Henry Barnicoat RAFVR (960091).
Air Bomber - Sgt H West RAFVR (948124).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie George Holland RAFVR (1380058).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Robert Henry Stow RAFVR (578017).
Air Gunner - Sgt Albert Frederick Tidmarsh (850303).
Air Gunner - Sgt Kenneth Wilson Grisdale RAFVR (1390249).
Halifax HR782 was built to contract ACFT/1688/42 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was taken on charge by 51 Squadron at Snaith on 31st March 1943. As a result of battle damage on 21st April 1943 Cat.Ac/FB was the damage assessment. A repair on site was begun on 26th April 1943 and it was returned to 51 Squadron on 6th July 1943. On 3rd August 1943 it received further battle damage on Ops to Hamburg. Cat.Ac/FB damage was again the assessment and it was again repaired on site. On 4th December 1943 it failed to return from Ops to Leipzig, two of the crew were killed while five became PoWs. Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork. The aircraft was struck off charge on 7th December 1943 having clocked up 166 hours total flying time.
Nicholas Richards received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (147952) on 9th May 1943. Nothing more is known about him.
Sgt West became a PoW on 28th May 1943 while flying Ops to Essen in Halifax HR750 when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter.
Leslie Holland received the DFM for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 19th October 1943. Having just received his commission on 18th February 1945 (195246) and having been posted to 35 Squadron PFF he was reported as missing on 6th March 1945 while flying Ops to Chemnitz in Lancaster ME333. He was twenty four years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Kenneth Grisdale was also awarded the DFM for service with 51 Squadron, also Gazetted on 19th October 1943. While in the rank of Warrant Officer he died on 24th November 1945 at the age of twenty four years old and he is buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
Robert Stow was also awarded the DFM for service with 51 Sqadron, also Gazetted on 19th October 1943. He was granted a commission on to the rank of P/O on probation on 9th February 1944 (54278) rising to F/O on 9th August 1944 and F/Lt on 9th February 1946. He was awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th July 1945.
Albert Tidmarsh received a commission on 18th July 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(149055), he was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Sqadron, also Gazetted on 19th October 1943 and was promoted to F/O on 18th January 1944.
John Barnicoat received a commission on 21st June 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(148466). He was also awarded the DFC for service with 51 Sqadron, also Gazetted on 19th October 1943. He was promoted to F/O on 21st December 1943 and F/Lt on 21st June 1945. Having served with 162 Squadron he was awarded the Bar to the DFC, Gazetted on 6th November 1945.