Halifax JB893 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 13th / 14th July 1943 this 408 Squadron aircraft was undertaking an operational flight to bomb Aachen when the aircraft received flak damage to the wings. The crew were able to bring the aircraft safely back to base and landed at Leeming at 05.41hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Kenneth Lloyd Brager RCAF (R/115787).
Navigator - P/O Gordon Ewart Mallory RCAF (C/16622).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Thomas Donald Cochrane RCAF (R/146396).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Edwin Kent RAFVR (1092493).
Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie Arthur McQuestion RCAF (R/180964).
Air Gunner - Sgt Robert Wilson Ogston RCAF (R/179719).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Bernard Smith RAFVR (1684936).
This crew then received a new rear gunner and continued their tour with 408 Squadron. On the night of 20th December 1943 all were flying Lancaster DS758 on Ops to Frankfurt when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter piloted by Hptm Hans-Karl Kamp, of Stab III./NJG4. All were killed. All but their regular USAAF navigator Lt Stiller are now buried in Hotton War Cemetery in Belgium.
This crew were posted in to 408 Squadron from 1664 HCU in early July 1943 and this flight appears to have been their first operational flight. P/O Mallory flew this operational flight then appears to have been replaced by 1st Lt Nelson Stiller USAAF (O-886031) as the regular navigator of the "Brager" crew. Much later on 13th June 1944 F/O Mallory was flying with 408 Squadron when he was killed flying in Lancaster DS726 crashed near Cambrai, France with the loss of six of eight of his then crew. He is buried in Forenville Military Cemetery, France. I haven't been able to establish whether he had served with 408 Squadron for the eleven months in between this minor flak incident in July 1943 and his death or whether he was posted elsewhere and had later returned to 408 Squadron in 1944.
On 7th September 1943 Sgt's Brager, Kent, Cochrane, McQuestion, Smith and Ogston were flying in Lancaster DS732, and were in the process of converting to Lancasters. The aircraft crashed near Newton on Ouse during the fighter affiliation exercise. Robert Ogston was thrown from the rear turret and died of his injuries. He received a promotion to F/Sgt after his death and is buried in Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire. He was still just nineteen years old. One of the memorial crosses issued to wives and mothers and his air gunner's brevet was sold on Ebay in March 2016. The Form AM765c does not list that a navigator flying in Lancaster DS732 when it crashed.
Halifax JB893 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English ELectric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Leeming on 22nd March 1943. It was damaged in a collision with Halifax JB906 on 4th April 1943 at Leeming. Cat.A(c)/FB damage was the damage assessment and the repair commenced on site on 8th April 1943. 405 Squadron moved to Gransden Lodge while it was being repaired and on 18th May 1943 it was returned to them. On 2nd June 1943 it was transferred to 408 Squadron at Leeming. It sustained minor flak damage on 11th / 12th June 1943 and also flak damage on 13th / 14th July 1943 with 408 Squadron and was repaired on site both times. On 12th August 1943 it was transferred to 429 Squadron at Leeming when 408 Squadron began converting to Lancasters. On 29th August 1943 it was transferred to 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit at Topcliffe. On 12th October 1943 it was being flown on a cross country flight when it caught fire and crashed at Lower Brailes, Oxfordshire. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge.