Halifax JD117 damaged in the air, landed at Lissett airfield.
On the night of 27th / 28th May 1943 this 158 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Essen and took off from Lissett airfield at around 22.45hrs. The crew released their bomb load onto the target area from 11,000 feet at 01.15hrs but at 01.20hrs the aircraft received flak damage to the starboard inner engine. Despite this damage the crew flew back to base on three engines and landed safely at Lissett at around 04.00hrs. The take off time and landing time are both left off the squadron record on this night.
Pilot - F/O Ian Fraser MacWatt RAFVR (112021).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Christopher John Lewingdon RAFVR (1402321).
Navigator - Sgt James Maxwell Brechin RAFVR (1431562).
Air Bomber - P/O Derick Jimenez RAFVR (129153).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/O Robert William Dawe RCAF (J/16186).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Ernest Lynn RAFVR (972236).
Air Gunner - Sgt James Theodore Roach RCAF (R/137561).
On 11th August 1943 MacWatt, Lewingdon, Brechin, Jimenez, Dawe and Roach were killed when Halifax JD249 failed to return from Ops to Nuremberg. All are buried in Durnbach War Cemetery. Sgt Lynn managed to bale out and was made POW.
Halifax JD117 was built to contract ACFT/1808/C4 by English Electric Co.Ltd. at Samlesbury and was delivered new to 158 Squadron at Lissett on 2nd May 1943. As a result of battle damage sustained on 28th May 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site. On 12th June 1943 the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Dusseldorf that saw it's seven man crew killed. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was struck off charge on 14th June 1943 having clocked up 66 hours flying time from new.