On the night of 8th / 9th October 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Melbourne airfield at 22.40hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Hannover. They bombed the target area at 01.32hrs from 7,000 feet on PFF target indicators but the aircraft was hit and damaged by flak and also damaged by falling incendiary bombs from a higher aircraft. Despite the damage the crew were able to bring the aircraft back to base and landed at Melbourne safely at 05.15hrs. The damage was later inspected and it was deemed too severe to warrant a repair.
Pilot - P/O Robert Cameron RAFVR (155800).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Samuel Eyre RAFVR (1022285).
Navigator - P/O Reginald Clifford Andrew Cowles RAFVR (1392560).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Vincent Hathaway McQuie RAFVR (155809).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Hutton RAFVR (1312748).
Air Gunner - Sgt Adam Ness Williamson RAFVR (1563261).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Winstanley RAFVR (1697127).
This crew had been posted in to 10 Squadron during June 1943 and had flown regularly with 10 Squadron between then and October 1943 but after this Sgt McQuie did not fly operationally again with them. On the night of 3rd / 4th November 1943 many of those listed above (namely Cameron, Eyre, Hutton, Williamson and Winstanley) were flying together in Halifax HX179 on an operational flight to bomb Dusseldorf, on the return to England the aircraft crashed near Shipham airfield in Norfolk and all but the rear gunner, Sgt Winstanley, were killed. A local man, Mr Ernest william Bowman, a member of the local Home Guard, dragged Sgt Winstanley clear from the wreckage and he was awarded the BEM (Gazetted on 2nd May 1944). The citation for his award states " An aircraft crashed and caught fire. Bowman crawled into the wrecked machine to remove the unconscious rear gunner. He was at first unable to get the airman out but, although he had been warned that there were large explosive incendiary bombs on board, he again entered the burning aircraft and, with assistance, succeeded in extricating the gunner. Bowman's brave conduct and determination were instrumental in saving the airman's life". Sadly nineteen year old Sgt Jack Winstanley died from his injuries on 5th November 1943 and was buried at Walmersley Churchyard, Lancashire.
Robert Cameron had received a commission on 16th August 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation. He is buried at the New Kilpatrick Cemetery in Glasgow.
Reginald Cowles received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 26th August 1943 and rose to F/O six months later. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944. By the end of 1944 he had begun a second tour. On 11th December 1944 he was flying in 514 Squadron when the aircraft crashed
He was twenty three years old and is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Vincent McQuie received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 16th August 1943 and rose to F/O six months later. He survived the War and remained in the RAFVR until 4th March 1959.
Back to monthly table.