On the night of 9th / 10th July 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft took off from Elvington airfield at 23.02hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen.
The aircraft was slightly damaged by flak but landed safely at Elvington at 05.28hrs.
Pilot - P/O Alexander Massie RAFVR (156947).
Air Gunner - F/O Charles Richard George Rollings RAFVR (124946).
Flight Engineer - Sgt R Crofts
Navigator - Sgt W S J Plunkett
Bomb Aimer - Sgt William Alan Peers RAFVR (1067704).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O P A Stiff
Air Gunner - Sgt C W Brister
All of the above were flying 77 Squadron Halifax JD379 on 24th August 1943 when the aircraft crashed in North-West Germany after combat with a night-fighter. Four of the crew survived and became pows but Massie, Rollings and Peers were killed and are buried in Hanover War Cemetery.
Halifax JB788 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was flown to 18 MU at Dumfries as new on 27th February 1943. The aircraft was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Elvington on 4th May 1943. It sustained Cat.A/FB damage assessments following minor flak damage incidents on 14th May 1943, 26th May 1943, 28th May 1943 and 10th July 1943. After each incident a repair on site was carried out. On 30th September 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 466 Squadron at Leconfield and on 17th November 1943 it was transferred to 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit at Marston Moor. On 29th December 1943 it crash landed off Drub Lane, Cleckheaton following a propeller detachment on a training flight. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 10th January 1944 having clocked up some 296 flying hours from new.
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