Halifax JB794 damaged by flak, returned to Pocklington airfield.

On the night of 3rd / 4th July 1943 this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Pocklington at 23.13hrs for an operational flight to bomb Cologne. The crew bombed the target area through what was described as being 3/10ths cloud cover and received a small flak hole in the nose of the aircraft. The damage was only minor and the crew made a safe return to Pocklington landing at 05.33hrs.

Pilot - F/Sgt J Hanby RAFVR (1058290).

Navigator - P/O Frederick John Williams RAFVR (137559).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Alec Taylor RAFVR (1209307)

Air Gunner - Sgt Roland Maund RAFVR (1580261).

Air Gunner - Sgt F Windmill.

Flight Engineer - Sgt J A Irving

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Constantine Anderton RAFVR (1533845).

On the night of 22nd / 23rd September 1943 all of the above were flying Halifax HX154 on Ops to Hanover when the aircraft suffered from a propeller break off in the air sliced into the nose of the aircraft. The damaged engine then caught fire. All apart from Sgt Maund managed to bale out and land safely and they saw out the war as PoWs. Sgt Maund is buried in Hanover Cemetery.

Frederick Williams had received a commission on 3rd March 1943 and rose to F/O six months later, he then rose to F/Lt two years after his commission on 3rd March 1945.

Constantine Anderton married Marjorie Hinchliffe in the Wetherby area of Yorkshire in 1941. He died in Cheltenham in 1976.

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