Halifax JB835 damaged by flak, returned to Pocklington airfield.
During the night of 23rd / 24th May 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were tasked with bombing Dortmund and left Pocklington at 22.51hrs, during the course of the night the aircraft was damaged by flak in the tail and also in the flaps. The aircraft was also struck by falling bombs from a higher flying aircraft. The crew were able to make a safe return to base and landed at Pocklington at 04.54hrs without flaps.
Pilot - Sgt Edward Thomas Samuel Rowbottom RAFVR (1294895).
Navigator - Sgt John Kenneth Keele RAFVR (1334003).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Alan Raymond Pearce RAFVR (1382481).
Air Gunner - Sgt Russell Lloyd Collins RCAF (R/65016).
Air Gunner - Sgt Murton Lawrence McClay RCAF (R/147010).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Richard Harvey Day RAFVR (1379869).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt R V Wallace RAFVR (1392870).
Halifax JB835 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was received by 45 MU at Kinloss on 28th February 1943. The aircraft was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Pocklington on 6th March 1943. As a result of sustaining minor flak damage on 24th May 1943 Cat.Ac/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site, being returned to 102 Squadron on 17th July 1943. On 28th August 1943 it failed to return from Ops to Nuremburg. Cat.E(m) damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 31st August 1943.
On the night of 31st August 1943 this crew were flying Halifax JD909 on an operational flight to Berlin when the aircraft was badly damaged by flak, two of the crew were able to succesfully bale out before the aircraft crashed in Germany. Collins survived to a become PoW, Wallace survived and managed to evade capture but everyone else was killed. They were initially buried in Saerbeck Cemetery but are now buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.