On the night of 9th / 10th July 1943 this crew were one of a number of 408 Squadron crews tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen. A referece to this aircraft being slightly damaged by flak is located in Richard Koval's No.6 Group RCAF website and states that this aircraft sustained damage to the oxygen system. As they were returning to base the aircraft was then fired upon by English coastal defences but made a safe landing back at Leeming at 05.33hrs. The 408 Squadron records state that the aircraft lost the "belly blister" due to flak over the target area.

The aircraft was repaired quickly and used by the same crew on Ops on 14th July 1943, it was badly damaged and abandoned over the North York Moors and left to crash near Hawnby. I have kindly been contacted by families of two of the crew and both supplied logbook entries for July 1943 which list this earlier flight to Gelsenkirchen but neither mentions any damage so one assumes the damage was very slight. The flight engineer, Sgt Connolly, recorded "flak moderate to intense over target. 3 enemy aircraft seen but none attacked."

Pilot - F/O Donald Thomas Bain RCAF (J/9412).

Flight Engineer - Sgt James Joseph Connolly RAF (619879?).

Navigator - Sgt Ernest Henry Wood RCAF (J/19016).

Bomb Aimer - P/O Philip John Ashworth Magson RCAF (J/20912).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt George Warburton Acorn RCAF (R/112252).

Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt John Irvin Labow RCAF (J/18279).

Rear Gunner - Sgt Willard Melvin Haugen RCAF (R/114914).