Halifax JN906 damaged on Ops, returned to Snaith airfield.

On the night of 5th / 6th September 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield at 19.52hrs for an operational flight to bomb Mannheim. They bombed the target area from 18,500 feet at 23.32hrs but was slightly damaged by flak over the target. Three minutes later an enemy aircraft attacked the Halifax with a burst of cannon fire damaging the starboard mainlplane and aileron and started a fire near one of the wing tanks in the starboard wing. A fire started near this fuel tank and had burnt for over an hour. As they neared Snaith the port outer engine failed but despite all of the damage the crew managed to make a safe return to Snaith landing at 02.57hrs.

Pilot - P/O Michael Clifford Foster RAFVR (156626).

Navigator - F/Sgt G B Page RNZAF.

Bomb Aimer - Sgt Patrick Anthony Hughes RAFVR (1267383).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Walter Willetts RAFVR (1178591).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Wallace Arthur Clarke RAFVR (1604593).

Air Gunner - Sgt John Gordon Service RAFVR (1603926).

Air Gunner - Sgt William Twort RAFVR (1326420).

The last five named above were all awarded the DFM for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted in June 1944.

Patrick Hughes received a commission on 5th May 1944 and rose to F/O six months later.

Wallace Clarke received a commission on 10th August 1944 and rose to F/O six months later.

John Service received a commission on 6th May 1944, rose to F/O six months later and probably just scraped into a promotion to F/Lt in May 1946 just before the RAF post-war shake up which saw the vast majority of all war substantive commissioned officers leave the armed forces and return to civilian life.

Michael Foster received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 21st August 1943 and rose to F/O six months later. He was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th March 1944, the citation refers to the battle damage incident recorded above and states "This officer has attacked many targets in Germany, including Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and Leipzig. Throughout his tour he has displayed great skill and his determination to complete his tasks successfully has been most evident. On one occasion, during a sortie against Mannheim, his aircraft was severely damaged in an encounter with fighter. One engine was put out of action, the starboard main-plane and the ailerons were damaged. A fire broke out in the starboard wing and burned for more than an hour. The aircraft became very difficult to control but, displaying exceptional skill and resolution, Pilot Officer Foster flew it back to this country." By the time his DFC had gone from a recommendation to an award printed in the London Gazette he had served a brief attachment with 578 Squadron when it formed in January 1944, and had flown in the first three operational sorties with 578 Squadron in January 1944 (albeit in 51 Squadron aircraft and still a member of 51 Squadron). Further information is on the "www.578squadron.org.uk" website. Post-WW2 he remained in the RAF until February 1952.

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