Halifax JB867 damaged by flak, returned to Pocklington airfield.
On the night of 3rd / 4th April 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Essen and left
Pocklington at 19.47hrs. They attacked the target area at 17,000 feet but the aircraft was held in a cone of search lights,
the pilot took evasive action to get out of the search lights and in bringing the aircraft down to 5,000 feet the aircraft hit
many times by flak though he was able to successfully get out of the search lights. Sadly the rear gunner was seriously injured
by one of the flak bursts and he died soo after the aircraft left the target area. The crew made a safe landing at 00.19hrs,
probably back at Pocklington airfield but the death registration of the rear gunner was made in the "Howden" district and may
not have been the same district as Pocklington airfield possibly suggesting the aircraft landed in the Howden district; possibly
at Holme on Spalding Moor.
Rear Gunner - F/O Thomas McLoughlin RAFVR (131658), aged 29, of Darlington. Buried Darlington West Cemetery, Durham.
Pilot - Acting S/Ldr John Everard Hadfield Marshall DFC RAF (42622).
Navigator - F/O Angus MacKenzie McDonald DFM RAAF (401338).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J B Mitchell.
Air Gunner - F/Sgt D H Jones.
Flight Engineer - Sgt A W Johnson.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Philip Roberts Dunsford RAFVR (1383185).
F/O Thomas McLoughlin received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 21st September 1942 and rose to
the rank of F/O on 21st March 1943.
Having been promoted to F/Lt on 20th April 1942 and later to Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the Bar to the DFC for service with 102
Squadron, Gazetted on 13th August 1943. The citation mentioned the flak incident in April 1943 and reads.. "Since the award of the
DFC in July 1941, S/Ldr Marshall has completed successful operational missions to targets, including Berlin, Essen, Stuttgart and
Turin. On one occasion, one engine in his aircraft caught fire immediately after taking off with a full bombload. By his coolness and
skill in this emergency, he made a safe landing. On another occasion, whilst held in searchlights over Essen, he pressed home his attack
despite intense anti-aircraft fire which killed the rear gunner and damaged the aircraft extensively." He transferred to the Reserve as F/Lt on 10th July 1945 and retired from the RAF on 19th December 1956 as S/Ldr.
Halifax JB867 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Pocklington on 1th March 1943. As a result of minor flak damage on 30th March 1943 Cat.A/FB was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. On 4th April 1943 it was again damaged by flak on Ops to Essen which unfortunately killed the rear gunner P/O Thomas McLoughlin. Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was again repaired on site. On 5th May 1943 it crashed at Pocklington on take off for a training flight. Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 16th May 1943 having clocked up 53 hours total flying time from new.
John Marshall received a commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on 2nd September 1939, graded as P/O on probation
on 20th April 1940 and confirmed in the rank of P/O on 10th July 1940. He was later promoted to F/O (war subs) on 20th April 1941.
He was awarded the DFC for service with 37 Squadron, Gazetted on 5th August 1941, the citation was a joint one with P/O K S Peterson
RNZAF (406218) and reads.."One night in July 1941 these officers were the pilot and navigator bomb aimer respectively of an aircraft
detailed to attack an enemy fuel depot. The target area was obscured by cloud and Pilot Officer Marshall found it necessary to descend
to 2,500 feet to locate the objective. The first run was made in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire, the aircraft being hit in
several places. Some bombs were dropped but the attack was not considered satisfactory. A second run was made but Pilot Officer Peterson
decided not to release his remaining bombs because he had not a sufficiently good sight of the target. On the third run direct hits
on the storage tanks were obtained. Pilot Officers Marshall and Peterson displayed outstanding courage, devotion to duty and skill
under difficult and dangerous conditions."
Angus McDonald was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia on 4th August 1912, he was working as an accountant in Melbourne
when he enlisted into the RAAF in Melbourne. After training he first served with 102 Squadron in 1942. On the night of 11th/12th December
1942 he was flying Ops to Turin when the aircraft was badly damaged, he was awarded the DFM for his actions on this night, Gazetted on
15th January 1943. Soon after this incident he received a commission. For continued service with 102 Squadron he was awarded the DFC,
Gazetted on 15th October 1943. He later flew a second tour with 571 Squadron on Mosquitos and was awarded the Bar to the DFC for service
with 571 Squadron, Gazetted on 23rd March 1945. He returned to Australia after the War and died in 1968.
Philip Dunsford received a commission on 8th July 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He was later promoted to F/O
on 8th January 1945 and awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th February 1945.