Halifax JD332 damaged by flak, returned to (Yorkshire) airfield.
On the night of 4th / 5th October 1943 the crew of this 429 Squadron aircraft took off at 17.30hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Frankfurt. They bombed the target area from 19,000 feet but the aircraft received flak damage to the starboard wing. The damage did not prevent a safe return to Yorkshire and they landed at 01.40hrs. 429 Squadron were based at Leeming airfield but around this time the runways at Leeming were being resurfaced so while I have yet to confirm where this damaged aircraft made the landing at it was probably not made at Leeming. 427 Squadron Halifaxes and crews were sent to use Skipton on Swale airfield while this work was being done at Leeming. Skipton on Swale also had 433 Squadron who were working up to being operational at the time so it's unlikely that all of 427 Squadron aircraft and then all of 429 Squadron aircraft went to Skipton on Swale but I have yet to learn where 429 Squadron aircraft went to. Wherever 429 Squadron were detached the Halifax almost certainly returned there with the flak damage on 5th October 1943.
Pilot - P/O Kenneth Perram Mills RAFVR (156338).
Navigator - F/Sgt Elfod Gwynne RAFVR (1413343).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt J F Johnson RAFVR (1332016).
Wireless Operator - F/Sgt N P Mallen RAFVR (1186898).
Air Gunner - Sgt Floyd Raymond Christenson RCAF (R/150742).
Flight Engineer - Sgt G E Cotterill RAFVR (1652520).
Air Gunner - Sgt Robin Opal Patrick Joseph McCart RCAF (R/225377).
On the night of 22nd / 23rd October 1943 all of the above were flying Halifax JD332 on Ops to Kassel. The aircraft failed to return and Mills, Gwynne, McCart and Christenson were killed and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial while the other three became PoWs. Robin McCart had served in the Canadian Army until early 1943.