Halifax JD167 damaged by flak, returned to Elvington airfield.
At around 23.00hrs on 22nd June 1943 the crew of this aircraft took off from Elvington airfield to undrtake an operational flight to bomb Mulheim. The aircraft sustained flak damage to the starboard inner engine and also the starboard mainplane while making the bombing run on the target but the crew were able to bring the aircraft safely back to Elvington where they landed in the early hours of the 23rd June 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Basil Hallam RAFVR (778812).
Flight Engineer - Sgt William Richard Martindale RAFVR (1504469).
Navigator - Sgt Alfred Trevor Hitchings RAFVR (1586013).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Thomas Smith Crowcroft RAFVR (998586).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt George Colin Michael Purves RAFVR (1128915).
Air Gunner - Sgt Edgar Charles Honey RCAF (R/146294).
Air Gunner - Sgt Ronald Thomas Worrall RAFVR (1095590).
William Martindale was born on 8th March 1923. After the War he remained in the RAF, on 29th December 1950 he was flying in Halifax ST798 when it crashed into the sea off Barra Head, Outer Hebrides with the loss of the whole crew. His body was never found.
On the night of 27th / 28th September 1943 all of the above were flying 77 Squadron Halifax LW265 which failed to return from Ops to Hannover. All were made PoW's. Edgar Honey was injured and was treated in a German hospital prior to being sent to a PoW camp.
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. He had received his 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.