Halifax HR783 damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.
On the night of 27th / 28th May 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Essen and took off from Snaith airfield at 23.01hrs. The aircraft was struck by flak in several places while over the target and sustained damage to the rudder, fuselage and port wing but the crew were able to make a safe return to Snaith and landed at 04.23hrs. The aircraft had been slightly damaged earlier in May 1943.
Pilot - Sgt C A Chambers RNZAF (NZ.416312).
Navigator - F/O Arthur Trott RAFVR (129360).
Air Bomber - Sgt Douglas Rowbotham RAF (658656).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Arthur William Stevens RAFVR (1294635).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Samuel Wood RAF (578238).
Air Gunner - Sgt Arnold Roberts RAFVR (2213691).
Air Gunner - Sgt Melvin Lawrence Hutchins RCAF (R/144839).
Halifax HR783 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. During its life it sustained battle damage on a number of occasions. On 5th May 1943, 28th May 1943, 24th June 1943, 4th July 1943 and also on 14th July 1943 Cat.A/FB resulted each time from flak damage and a repair on site was carried out each time. On 6th August 1943 the aircraft crashed at Crockey Hill, York that saw seven airmen killed. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 16th August 1943. It had logged 140 flying hours in total from new.
On 13th June 1943 Chambers, Trott, Hutchins, Wood, Roberts and Stevens was still serving with 51 Squadron when Halifax DT568 failed to return from Ops to Bochum when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter when crashed in Holland, Sgt Chambers was the only survivor and became a PoW. Hutchins (20), Wood (19), Roberts (19) and Stevens (21) are buried in Weerselo Cemetery, Holland and must have been one of the youngest crews at 51 Squadron at that time. Arthur Trott must have either baled out early over Germany or was badly injured and died later in hospital as he is buried in Germeny, he was twenty one years old and is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. He had received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 14th August 1942 and rose to F/O on 14th February 1943.
Douglas Rowbotham was posted to 405 Squadron on 8th July 1943. On 3rd August 1943 he was flying in Halifax HR849 and failed to return from Ops to Hamburg, but as the aircraft was shot down over Bremen it is likely that his body was never identified as he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, he was twenty five years old. Three others of his then crew are listed in the Runnymede Memorial and three others are now buried in Becklingen War Cemetery.