Halifax JN924 damaged by a night fighter, returned to Snaith airfield.

On the night of 2nd / 3rd October 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield at 17.56hrs to carrying out mine laying and the two mines were released in the area the crew were briefed to release them at 21.47hrs from 6,000 feet. On the return flight the Halifax was attacked by a night-fighter at 23.03hrs, the rear turret was hit and the rear gunner was slightly injured. Both gunners returned fire and the attacking aircraft was driven off. The Halifax appears to have sustained pretty serious damage but despite this the crew were able to bring the aircraft back to land at Snaith at 01.50hrs. The damage was later assessed and it was deemed beyond repair. The superb "www.flensted.eu.com" has further details about the battle damage sustained and also the details of the attacking Luftwaffe pilot. Simply to copy their research would be unfair on my part.

Pilot - F/O Druce James Henry Cheal RAFVR (133408).

Flight Engineer - Sgt Kenneth Holt RAFVR (1279234).

Navigator - P/O Eric Austin Alliston RAFVR (144047).

Bomb Aimer - F/O John Cecil Bonet RCAF (J/20043).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Harold Mornington Smith RAFVR (1578044).

Air Gunner - Sgt John Andrew Whitmore McKenzie RCAF (R/116753).

Air Gunner - Sgt Francis John Dimond RAFVR (1850638).

Kenneth Holt appears to have been posted in to 51 Squadron from 431 Squadron on 10th September 1943 while the other six were posted in to 51 Squadron together from 1658 HCU on 11th September 1943. All were then posted out to 35 Squadron PFF as a crew on 19th October 1943. On 3rd December 1943 they were flying Halifax LW343 on an operational flight to Leipzig when the aircraft was probably damaged and partly abandoned before it crashed in Holland. Holt, Alliston, McKenzie and Dimond were killed while Cheal, Smith and Bonet became PoWs. Those who died are now buried in Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery.

John McKenzie was born on 7th December 1920 in St.Thomas, Ontario, Canada and was the John Angus and Helen Marguerite (nee Whitmore) McKenzie. He had been studying a buisness course at college and had worked briefly as a kitchen assistant at St.Thomas RCAF airfield when he enlisted for RCAF service on 28th July 1941 in London, Ontario for aircrew duties. After training he was awarded his air gunner's flying badge on 14th August 1942. He married Rosalind Virginia Spackman, of St.Thomas, on 3rd September 1942 in Halifax, Nova Scotia but then left Canada in late October 1942 and arrived in the UK early the following month. On arrival in the UK he trained at 7 AGS, 10 OTU and 1658 HCU before posting to 51 Squadron on 11th September 1943. He (and I assume the rest of this crew) was posted to 35 Squadron on 19th October 1943 to join the Path Finder Force.

Twenty year old Eric Alliston received a commission on 19th April 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation and rose to F/O six months later.

Druce Cheal received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 10th November 1942 and rose to F/O six months later. He remained in the RAFVR until 1952.

Harold Smith later married and emigrated to New Zealand where he died in April 2011. I thank his grand-daughter for contacting me.

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