On the night of the 2nd / 3rd October 1943 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Melbourne airfield at 18.00hrs with the crew briefed to drop mines. At 22.24hrs the aircraft was attacked by a Ju88 and an Me109 and the Halifax received cannon shell holes in the starboard rudder, the Halifaxes gunners returned fire and later claimed the Ju88 as being shot down. Despite the damage to the Halifax the crew made a safe landing back at Melbourne at 01.13hrs.
Pilot - P/O Reginald Robinson Dixon RAFVR (155761).
Navigator - Sgt John Lewis/Leiws Brown RAFVR (658828).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Herbert Gracey RAFVR (155208).
Wireless Operator - Sgt S V Harris RAFVR (1130017).
Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick Charles Perrett RAFVR (1586043).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William Alexander Dunbar RAF (614225).
Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Alfred Paul RAFVR (1320130).
Reginald Dixon received a commission to the rank of P/O on 9th August 1943. He was recommended for the DFC before his death but it was not promulgated until 1st June 1945.
John Brown received a commission to the rank of P/O on 24th November and rose to F/O six months later.
Herbert Gracey received a commission to the rank of P/O on 6th August 1943.
William Dunbar was born in 1918 in Alberta but little else is known about his early life. He joined the RAF prior to January 1940. He was seriously injured in the crash of Halifax JD105 in May 1943 near Thirsk but recovered and returned to operational flying with 10 Squadron. By 14th January 1944 he had completed 25 operational flights and on this date was recommended for the DFM, the recommendation for his DFM has been located by Hugh Halliday and mentions the accident on Hood Hill (though incorrectly spelt as Wood Range), it reads.."Flight Sergeant Dunbar was posted to 10 Squadron in March 1943, and has now completed 25 sorties comprising 161 operational hours. He was the Flight Engineer in a Halifax aircraft detailed to attack Dortmund on the night of 5th May 1943. Whilst over the target, the aircraft was subjected to a heavy barrage of very accurate flak operating with numerous searchlights. Shortly after crossing the English coast, they were diverted to Leeming owing to very bad weather and the aircraft struck high ground at Wood (sic:Hood) Range. All the crew with the exception of the Captain and tail gunner and Flight Sergeant Dunbar were killed. During a further sortie to Dusseldorf on the night of 3rd November 1943, the aircraft in which he was flying was attacked by a Junkers 88. The port outer engine was hit and caught fire, a propeller damaged and broken and two tanks were holed during this encounter. The Captain made a perfect three-engined landing on return to base. Flight Sergeant Dunbar, despite these attacks, has continued to operate with undiminished ardour and enthusiasm and has earned the admiration of all Flight Engineers who work with him." Unfortunately before this recommendation was carried through he was to be killed on 21st January 1944 flying Ops to Magdeburg in Halifax HX165. The award of the DFM for service with 10 Squadron was eventually promulgated on 1st June 1945.