Halifax JB864 damaged by flak, (possibly) returned to Pocklington airfield.
On the night of 11th / 12th June 1943 this aircraft was one belonging to 102 Squadron that had carried out an operational flight to bomb Dusseldorf. This crew set out at 22.38hrs, they bombed the target area from 18,500 feet and received flak damage to the fuselage, three fuel tanks and the wireless operator also received slight injuries to his jaw caused by a flak splinter. Despite the damage they were able to make a safe return to the UK, landing safely at 03.26hrs. Other returning 102 Squadron aircraft landed much later than this so I will add a note to say that the landing may have been in the south of England because of the injuries to the wireless operator.
Pilot - (Acting) F/Lt George Francis Henry Ingram RAFVR (116714).
Navigator - Sgt Stanley Cecil Richards RAFVR (1385642).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Arthur Dennis Garlick RAFVR (1081989). Slightly injured.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt H W Pimm (Possibly F/Sgt Harold William Pimm RAF (545649)).
Air Gunner - P/O Godfrey Percival Clark RAFVR (144706).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Kenneth White RAF (575851).
Bomb Aimer - F/O George William Rushbrook RAFVR (127291).
Second Pilot - Sgt K Gore.
George Ingram received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 12th January 1942 and rose to F/O six monnths later. He was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th August 1943. He was promoted to F/Lt on 12th January 1944 and having been posted to 35 Squadron PFF he was killed on 24th June 1944 when Lancaster ND734 was shot down by a night-fighter. (Acting) S/Ldr Ingram has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
George Rushbrook received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 20th July 1942 (127291) and rose to F/O six months later. He received the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. He was also posted to 35 Squadron and was flying with S/Ldr Ingram on 24th June 1944 but survived and became a PoW.
Stanley Richards received the DFM for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th August 1943. He survived the War and remained in the RAFVR until 1957.
Godfrey Clark's RAF service was slightly different to most in Bomber Command, he had initially joined the RAFVR back in November 1939 and after training had served as an air gunner with 604 Squadron as part of Fighter Command in 1940, serving with them during the Battle of Britain flying in Blenheims. He is therefore considered to be one of "The Few", having flown operationally during the Battle of Britain. 604 Squadron later converted to flying Beaufighters and did not need air gunners so these members of aircrew were posted elsewhere. Godfrey Clark was posted to 102 Squadron in Bomber Command and having been granted a commission he was awarded the DFC for service with them, Gazetted on 13th October 1944. He survived the war and died in 1995.