Halifax JD299 damaged by flak, returned to Snaith airfield.
On 9th July 1943 this aircraft took off from Snaith airfield at 23.17hrs to undertake an operational
flight to bomb Gelsenkirchen. The crew bombed the target area from 18,000ft at 01.31hrs and made for home
but while flying over the Dieppe area they were fired upon and flak damage resulted in the windscreen
being broken. The crew were able to bring the aircraft back to Yorkshire and they landed safely at Snaith
airfield in the early hours of 10th July 1943 at 05.26hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Dennis John Howlett RAFVR (1386233).
Navigator - Sgt Arthur Edward Hickerton RAFVR (1199782).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Arthur Ernest Edwards RAFVR (1331655).
Wireless Operator - Sgt Alfred John Double RAFVR (1293409).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Raymond Percival Atkinson RAFVR (988591).
Air Gunner - Sgt Vernon Leslie Miller RCAF (R/161298).
Air Gunner - Sgt James Kenneth Shewring RAFVR (1337064).
Second Pilot - Sgt J Robertson.
Sgt Robertson was the second pilot flying for operational experience in this aircraft, his service number was not listed in the 51 Squadron ORB and and a result nothing more is known about him.
The first seven named above were all posted to RAF Lyneham on 27th July 1943 which would have been for them to prepare for operations with Special Duties. All were then
posted to 624 Squadron and to Blida airfield, North Africa. On the night of 1st December 1943 all apart
from Sgt Double were flying Halifax EB140 which crashed in Greece on an SOE flight. F/Sgt's Howlett (22), Hickerton (29), Edwards (21), Miller (19), Atkinson (21), F/Sgt
Shewring are buried in Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece.
Alfred Double received a commission on 28th August 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (186214) and was promoted to F/O on 28th February 1945.
He was awarded the French Cross de Guerre on an unknown date.