Halifax JB911 damaged by flak, returned to Elvington airfield.
In the early hours of 27th April 1943 the crew of this 77 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Duisberg and took from Elvington at 00.18hrs. They bombed the target from 17,000ft by the aircraft was slightly damaged by flak. The crew were able to make a safe return to base and landed at Elvington at 04.52hrs. The photograph above is a reasonably famous photograph and shows Halifax JB911 making a very low pass of Elvington airfield with probably Halifax DT736 on the ground (which carried the "KN-M" code).
Pilot - P/O Edward James Canton RAFVR (146327).
Flight Engineer - Sgt John W Holmes RAFVR (809185).
Navigator - F/O Paul Ambrose Jousse RAFVR (80216).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt J Myers.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt R Godwin.
Air Gunner - Sgt Leslie Huxley RAFVR (1458275).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Forest Bob Polston RCAF.
Second Pilot - Sgt Basil Hallam RAFVR (778812).
Halifax JB911 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English Electric Co. Ltd. at Samlesbury and was taken on charge as new by 77 Squadron at Elvington on 31st March 1943. On 27th April 1943, 28th May 1943, 12th June 1943 and 26th July 1943 it sustained minor damage by flak on Ops. Cat.A/FB was the damage assessment each time with repairs on site made each time. On 16th September 1943 it was hit over the target on Ops by falling incendiaries from a higher flying aircraft, Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment and on 19th September 1943 a repair on site commenced by a team from Handley Page Ltd. The aircraft was returned to 77 Squadron charge on 7th October 1943. On 18th November 1943 it was flown on an operational flight to Mannheim and the crew landed at Harwell on return. While the squadron records do not state any damage resulted it appears likely because a Cat.Ac/FB damage assessment was made. The damage was repaired on site and on 24th December 1943 it was returned to 77 Squadron charge. It remained with 77 Squadron and moved with them to Full Sutton on 15th May 1944. The aircraft was transferred to 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall on 24th June 1944. On 16th November 1944 it was flown to 45 MU at Kinloss for storage and lasted until 1st November 1946 when it was struck off charge and sold for scrap.
Edward Canton received a commission on 20th April 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with
77 Squadron Gazetted on 14th September 1943.
Forest Polston was born in October 1919 in Oklahoma, USA. Before WW2 he served in the US Navy but crossed the border and enlisted into the RCAF during the early years of WW2. After the war he returned home and trained as a pilot. He died in Texas, USA in January 2005.
Leslie Huxley was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944.
Paul Jousse received a commission on 19th December 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st October 1942. He was awarded the DFC for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 10th September 1943 while in the rank of Acting F/Lt and was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 19th December 1943.
John Holmes had served with 249 Squadron (Fighter Command) from May 1940 probably as a member of ground crew. He later re-trained as a flight engineer and was posted to 77 Squadron. He was made a PoW as a result of failing to return from Ops on 22nd/23rd October 1943 in Halifax JB856.
Basil Hallam was a Southern Rhodesian national. He was undertaking Heavy Conversion Unit training at Rufforth when he flew as the second pilot in Halifax JB911 on the operational flight listed at the top of this page for operational experience prior to being posted operational with his own crew. On completion of his training at Rufforth he was posted to 77 Squadron still at Elvington. On the night of 27th/28th September 1943 he was the pilot of Halifax LW265 which failed to return from Ops to Hannover. All of his crew were made PoW's. He had received a commission on 19th June 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and rose to F/O on 19th December 1943 while a PoW. After being liberated he transferred to the Southern Rhodesian Air Force on 19th July 1945.