Halifax HR859 damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.

On 9th July 1943 this aircraft took off from Snaith airfield at 23.03hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen. This aircraft sustained damage by flak to the starboard inner engine while over the target area, they released their bombs from 19,500ft at 01.22hrs through thick cloud and were able to bring the aircraft back to Yorkshire and they landed safely at Snaith airfield in the early hours of 10th July 1943 at 05.01hrs. The first seven named were to survive a more serious crew a month after this battle damage incident and all survivors were awarded the DFC or DFM for service with 51 Squadron in October 1943.

Pilot - P/O William John MacPherson RAFVR (146862).

Navigator - P/O Anthony Trevor Ellis RAFVR (146795).

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Reginald Vaughan Payne RAFVR (776171).

Wireless Operator - P/O Cyril Albert Henry Silvester RAFVR (148478), of Clacton, Essex.

Flight Engineer - P/O Francis Stephen Moores RAF (52574).

Air Gunner - P/O Joseph Grudzien RCAF (J/22090), of Fort William, Ontario, Canada.

Air Gunner - P/O William Ralph Clow RCAF (J/14011).

Second Pilot - Sgt Eric James Jones RAFVR (1248002), of Lye, Worcestershire.

On 10th August 1943 the first seven named above were half an hour into an operational flight to bomb Nuremburg and were flying over Lincolnshire when at 22.10hrs the aircraft, Halifax HR981, crashed into a house described as being at Snitterby House Farm near Kirton in Lindsey. Sadly Cyril Silvester and two civilians Mrs Olive Dickinson (aged 38) and her baby son John Dickinson (aged 15 weeks) that were in the damaged house died. The other six airmen were seriously injured. The rear gunner was not seriously injured and assisted in rescueing other members of his crew, and one suspects the civilians.

Cyril Silvester received his commission on 21st June 1943 (148478) though the London Gazette only published notification of this after his death on 20th August 1943. He was twenty one years old and is buried at Clacton Cemetery, Essex.

William MacPherson received his commission on 8th May 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943. He was later promoted to F/O on 8th November 1943 and F/Lt on 8th May 1945. He remained in the RAFVR at least until November 1947.
Reginald Payne received the DFM for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 19th October 1943. He later received his commission to P/O on probation (emergency) on 6th December 1944 (188912) and was later promoted to F/O on 6th June 1945. He served a second Tour with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 25th September 1945.
Francis Moores received his commission on 21st June 1943. He too was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943. He was later promoted to F/O on 21st December 1943 and to F/Lt on 21st June 1945. He remained in the RAF until 15th September 1953.
Anthony Ellis received his commission on 10th May 1943. He too was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943. He was later promoted to F/O on 10th November 1943 and to F/Lt on 10th May 1945. He remained in the RAF until February 1948.
William Clow enlisted into the RCAF in June 1940 and served in a ground unit for two years before re-mustering as aircrew. In the crash on 10th August 1943 he escaped serious injury and helped to rescue other members of the crew. He was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th October 1943. He returned to Canada in 1944.
Joseph Grudzien was also awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 19th October 1943.
Sgt Eric Jones was flying with P/O MacPherson's crew for operational experience prior to beginning operational flying with his own crew who had just arrived in at 51 Squadron. Sadly he and his crew were killed on Ops on 25th / 26th July 1943 flying Halifax HR749 on Ops to Essen and were lost without trace. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial and was twenty two years old.