Halifax LK640 damaged by flak, returned to Tholthorpe airfield.
On the night of 2nd / 3rd October 1943 the crew of this 431 Squadron aircraft took off at 19.01hrs to undertake a mine laying flight, during the flight the aircraft suffered from a number of the aircraft's navigation equipment failing and being rendered unservicable. The aircraft also suffered damage to one of the engines as a result of a flak burst from fire from a flak ship but the crew however managed to make a safe return to Tholthorpe airfield on the three good engines and landed safely at 03.23hrs. The aircraft was quickly repaired and was being flown by the same pilot within a week operationally again. This was the crew's first operational flight with 431 Squadron. The aircraft appears to have carried nose art depicting "Q-Queenie" and was lost on Ops with 431 Squadron on 19th November 1943.
Pilot - S/Ldr Wilbur Prevence Pleasance RCAF (C/1395).
Navigator - F/O Lorne Albert Rotstein RCAF (J/21910).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Robert Mark Emsley RAFVR (1213524).
Bomb Aimer - P/O David Robert Taylor RCAF (J/24498).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Edward H Ihde RCAF (R/159397).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jack F Tagg RCAF (R/193140).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Morley David McGill RCAF (R/166007).
This crew were posted to 419 Squadron by the end of October 1943. Unfortunately 419 Squadron had lost its commanding officer W/Co G A McMurdy on 23rd October 1943 on Ops to Kassel and S/Ldr (Acting W/Co) Pleasance was posted to 419 Squadron (with his crew) to become the new 419 Squadron Commanding Officer.
Robert Emsley received a commission on 20th May 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation and rose to F/O six months later. He survived the War.
Lorne Rotstein was born in Toronto in 1920. He was awarded the DFC for service with 419 Squadron, Gazetted on 4th December 1945.
Wilbur Pleasance was born at Port Arthur, Ontario in 1909 and was living in Calgary when he enlisted in November 1939. Having training in Canada he then served there becoming chief flying instructor at the Mount Hope and Pendleton flying schools until early 1942. He was then posted to the UK and served in Bomber Command for the rest of the War. For service with 419 Squadron he was first awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 19th May 1944 and then the Bar to the DFC, Gazetted on 25th July 1944. The citation for the latter was a joint one with his flight engineer P/O Morley McGill (who was awarded the DFC) and reads.. "One night in June 1944, these officers were pilot and flight engineer respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack the railway junction at Versailles. In the take off both the port engines faltered at a time when the aircraft had barely left the ground. Wing Commander Pleasance was unable to climb but, by just clearing immediate obstacles and by taking advantage of low-lying ground, he flew on for twenty miles at a height of about 200 feet. By then Pilot Officer McGill had succeeded in restoring power to the engines and Wing Commander Pleasance went on to the target and bombed it. Both these officers displayed great coolness and skill in a difficult and dangerous situation." He was later Mentioned in Despatches on 14th June 1945 but the recommendation from February 1945 stated "After a most successful tour during which Group Captain Pleasance was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar, he has served in turn as Station Commander at RCAF Stations Tholthorpe, Wombleton and is now Station Commander at RCAF Station Linton (on Ouse). During the time that this officer has been under my command, I have found him most loyal, tactful and co-operative. He has been diligent and attentive to his work and has carried out all orders and instructions to my complete satisfaction. Since coming to Linton this officer has shown the ability to organize and improve many sections of the station. His ability along these lines is producing excellent results." Post-WW2 he remained in RCAF until 1958 and died in 1980.
Morley McGill was born in Carman, Manitoba in May 1918 and was working in farming when he enlisted for RCAF service in Winnipeg in May 1942. He was awarded the DFC for service with 419 Squadron, Gazetted on 25th July 1944. The citation for his DFC was a jioint one with Wilbur Pleasance's and is given in his biography above. He died in February 1972.
I credit Hugh Halliday's superb RCAF awards research drawn upon for compiling this webpage.