On the night of 3rd / 4th October 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Pocklington airfield at 18.18hrs to undertake and operational flight to bomb Kassel. The flight appears to have been fairly uneventful until they had returned the skies over Yorkshire and were in the landing circuit at Pocklington awaiting their turn to land. While in the landing circuit the port inner engine lost a propeller blade, the vibrations on the engine then caused the engine to break away from its mountings and it fell from the aircraft. As it fell it struck the propeller of the port outer engine which resulted in that engine then being shut down. The pilot managed to make a good two engined landing at Pocklington airfield at 01.21hrs and the photograph shown above shows the damaged aircraft. The pilot was recommended for the award of an immediate DFM for his actions in safely landing the aircraft, word came back to 102 Squadron that this was to be granted on 19th October 1943 and notification was printed in the London Gazette on 2nd November 1943.
Pilot - F/Sgt Noel McPhail RAAF (413092).
Navigator - Sgt J J Young (possibly Sgt Joseph James Young RAFVR (1527063)).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Lyn Prosser Seabury RAFVR (1672369).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt L B Morgan (probably Sgt Lemuel Benjamin Morgan RAFVR (1315639)).
Air Gunner - Sgt Victor Francis Milton Carr RAAF (422412).
Air Gunner - Sgt Colin George Robertson RAAF (418570).
Flight Engineer - Sgt R G Chatterton (probably Sgt Reginald George Chatterton RAFVR (1629460)).
Noel McPhail was involved in a what could have been a very serious mishap while training at 1663 HCU on 22nd August 1943 when Halifaxes EB195 and DK125 collided on the ground at Rufforth but all escaped with minor injuries. He must have recovered from his injuries quickly as he and this crew were then posted to 102 Squadron on completion of the course at 1663 HCU by the end of August 1943. He was awarded the DFM for service with 102 Squadron for his actions in landing this damaged Halifax on 3rd October 1943, his DFM notification was printed in the London Gazette on 2nd November 1943. As Acting F/Lt he was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 19th May 1944. The citation was a joint one with the two air gunners in his crew; P/O Victor Francis Milton Carr RAAF (422412) and P/O Colin George Robertson RAAF (418570) and reads "As pilot and air gunners respectively these officers have completed a large number of sorties, involving a wide range of targets. They have invariably displayed a high standard of skill, courage and devotion to duty, qualities which were well illustrated during a recent mine-laying mission. Before reaching the target the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and sustained damage. Almost immediately the aircraft was intercepted by a fighter which attacked with much persistence. Flight Lieutenant McPhail manoeuvred with great skill, however, and Pilot Officers Carr and Robertson used their guns with great effect to drive off the attacker which is believed to have been shot down. These officers displayed great determination throughout."
Lyn Seabury was born in Kendal in April 1923. Having served with 102 Squadron he had served as an instructor before returning to operational flying with 171 Squadron. He received a commission on 7th March 1945. He died in Largs in April 2014. His obituary is to be found on the internet which gives a lot of information regarding his civilian working life.
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