On the night of 9th / 10th August 1943 the crew of this aircraft were one of a sixteen 102 Squadron crews tasked with flying operational flights to bomb Mannheim. This specific crew left Pocklington at 22.51hrs. Due to a problem with the compass outbound the crew opted to abandon the flight, they jettisoned the bomb load and made an early return to Pocklington at 02.05hrs but on landing struck a parked aircraft slightly damaging both aircraft. I have not yet identified the other aircraft involved.
Pilot - WO Robert William Stanislaus Rooney RAAF (405390).
Navigator - F/Sgt S A Weeks.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Eric Arthur Church RAFVR (1192645).
Air Gunner - Sgt H W Jarvis.
Air Gunner - P/O G A Henderson.
Flight Engineer - Sgt M Bernbaum.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt William Mason Maxwell Manser RCAF (R/130056).
On 15th February 1944 P/O William Manser was still flying with 102 Squadron, he was flying in Halifax HX155 on Ops to Berlin when the aircraft failed to return from Ops and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Eric Church later received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 14th December 1943. He was killed on the night of 20th / 21st January 1944 when Halifax LW337 was hit by flak over Berlin. Part of the crew were able to bale out but he was killed. He was twenty four years old and is buried in Berlin War Cemetery. This was a bad night for 102 Squadron, they lost seven aircraft, with sixteen airmen killed and twenty two being made prisoners of war.
Robert Rooney was born on 26th April 1922 in Waverley, New South Wales, Australia and was the son of Robert Alexander and Helen Rooney. Robert (Jnr) was working as a wool classer when he enlisted for RAAF service in Sydney on 31st March 1941. After basic training in Australia he he gained his Wings in September 1941 and left to training elsewhere in May 1942; almost certainly in Canada. On arrival in the UK he trained with 3 (P)AFU at South Cerney from 30th August to 20th October 1942, 24 OTU at Honeybourne from 22nd October to 20th November 1942, Long Marston from 21st November to 22nd February 1943 and was posted to 1658 CU at Riccall on 20th March 1943. He was coming to the end of his training at 1658 CU by mid-April 1943, part of the training program generally involved undertaking an operational flight with a fully qualified crew as second pilot, this would give pilots operational experience prior to beginning operational flying with his own crew. On the night of 16th / 17th April 1943 Sgt Rooney was the second pilot of 10 Squadron Halifax DT791 undertaking Ops to Plzen when the aircraft was first damaged by flak and then further damaged when it was attacked by an enemy aircraft. Crossing the North Sea with only two engines working he force landed the aircraft near Lewes, Suffolk. He sustained serious head injuries as a result and was admitted to hospital. It took until the end of the June 1943 before he was fit to resume service training with 1658 CU and upon completing the course he was posted to 102 Squadron on 13th July 1943. His time with 102 Squadron was short; he last flew with them on 31st August 1943 having received a commission a few days previous. I have yet to locate were he served from this date until March 1944 when he was posted to 640 Squadron. He flew with 640 Squadron until 5th August 1944 and for service with them he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 6th October 1944 the citation for this reads.. "F/Lt Rooney has participated in very many sorties. One night in August 1944 he was pilot of an aircraft detailed to attack Nuremburg. When leaving the target the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire, one engine was put out of action and the elevator controls damaged, making the bomber difficult to control. Afterwards the aircraft was twice attacked by fighters and although the intercommunication system to the rear turret did not function, this pilot and his gunners co-operated well by other means and the fighters were evaded. F/Lt Rooney then flew the damaged aircraft safely to base. This officer is a brave and resourceful captain whose example has greatly inspired his crew".
After his time with 640 Squadron he trained at 70 OTU, Staff Pilot's Course and then served as a staff pilot breifly at 1658 HCU until 19th December 1944 but his service file states he was then admitted hospital in late-September 1944 and was then grounded due to being medically unfit. He was subsequently repatriated and his commission was terminated on medical grounds on 12th July 1945. Whether his injuries sustained in the crash in April 1943 were more serious than had first been thought or he was involved in a second accident have yet to be learnt at the time of creating this webpage.
Halifax JB844 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4/c by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge as new by 78 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 20th March 1943. Two days later it was transferred to 102 Squadron at Pocklington. As a result of sustaining flak damage on 5th May 1943 and then on 28th May 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment each time and it was repaired on site each time. On 26th June 1943 it sustained Cat.Ac/FB damage when it was damaged by flak or by falling incendiary bombs on ops to Gelsenkirchen. The crew managed to return the aircraft to base and it was repaired on site by a team from Handley Page Ltd. On 14th July 1943 it was returned to 102 Squadron charge but was re-coded "DY-S". On 10th August 1943 it sustained minor Cat.A/FB damage when it collided with a parked aircraft at Pocklington after landing from Ops to Mannheim. The aircraft was repaired on site. On 24th April 1944 it was transferred to 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit at Rufforth. on 16th May 1944 it was transferred to 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall. On 19th July 1944 it was force landed near Sheriff Hutton and while the crew all survived the aircraft was badly damaged. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on 26th July 1944. It had amassed some 558 hours total flying time from new.
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