On the evening of 18th November 1943 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft took off from Breighton airfield at 16.33hrs for an operational flight to bomb Mannheim. Before reaching the target area the aircraft received flak damage which disabled part of the hydraulic system, as a result only part of the bomb load was able to be released so they brought the aircraft home with part of the load intact. A landing was made at Breighton probably before midnight.
Pilot - F/Lt Gerald de Lucie Carver RAFVR (117306).
Navigator - P/O S Wood.
Bomb Aimer - P/O E Allen.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Robert William Saiger RAFVR (1129081).
Air Gunner - Sgt Harold Wiltshire RAFVR (1076187).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Richard Carl Hyde RCAF (R/132080).
Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert James Clark RAAF (413153).
Herbert Clark was born on 16th March 1941 in Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia. He was working as a station and farm hand when he enlisted into the RAAF on 16th August 1941 in Sydney. After basic training he was posted to the UK and trained at 7 AGS, 20 OTU and 1663 HCU before posting to 78 Squadron in June 1943. He was awarded the DFM for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 11th February 1944, the citation reads.."F/Sgt Clark has flown on numerous operational sorties. An outstanding and fearless air gunner, the safety of his crew can be attributed in a large measure to his unceasing vigilance and skill. He has been responsible for the destruction of one enemy aircraft and shared in the destruction of another. On the ground this airman has shown the same keenness and devotion to duty, performing his duties with great efficiency." Following a 23 operational flight tour with 78 Squadron he was posted to 1658 HCU as an instructor in December 1943 but was repatriated in August 1944 back to Australia. He received his commission on 13th July 1944 and was later promoted to F/O on 13th January 1945. He was reported as missing on an operational flight in the South West Pacific on 17th May 1945 flying in a Liberator with 200 Flight, the aircraft crashed in Dutch Timor. He is buried at Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia.
Gerald Carver first flew with 37 Squadron in the Middle East and while serving with 37 Squadron on 16th October 1941 he was the pilot of Wellington T2801 which struck a fuel bowser on take off. Also with 37 Squadron on 13th December 1941 he was the pilot of Wellington N2780 which was forced to ditch in The Med after being damaged by flak on Ops, of the six crew in the aircraft he was one of four who survived in the dinghy while two other members of his then crew attempted to swim ashore but never made it. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 1st February 1942 and was Mentioned in Despatches on 11th June 1942 then rose to F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st October 1942. After posting back to the UK he joined 78 Squadron. Acting F/Lt Carver was awarded the DSO for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 10th December 1943, the citation reads.. "This officer has completed a large number of sorties, many of them in the Middle East. He is an ideal leader, whose great skill and tenacity of purpose have always been evident. His determination was well demonstrated on a recent occasion during an operation against Mannheim. In the early stages of the outward flight some equipment became unserviceable and, some time later, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire which badly damaged the hydraulic gear. In spite of this, Flight Lieutenant Carver flew on to the target and pressed home a determined attack. This officer has displayed great courage and devotion to duty and his achievements have won great praise." He was also awarded the DFC for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 10th September 1943. He was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 1st February 1944 then post-war on 3rd September 1948 he was appointed to a commission as F/O in the RAFVR. He was also seconded to the BOAC around this time. He reliquished his commission in the RAFVR on 3rd September 1955. He died in Safron Walden in 2008.
Harold Wiltshire received his commission to P/O on probation (emergency)(161279) on 9th October 1943. He was awarded the DFC for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th February 1944. He was later promoted to F/O (war subs) on 15th April 1944 and was awarded the Bar to the DFC for service with 158 Squadron, Gazetted on 21st September 1945. Before leaving the RAF he was promoted to F/Lt on 9th October 1945.
Robert Saiger's obituary confuses this basic biog because it includes details of various things that I have been unable to find any record of and some of it is complete rubbish. The facts are that he was granted a commission as P/O on probation (168731) on 10th November 1943 and awarded the DFM for service with 78 Squadron prior to his commission, Gazetted on 15th February 1944. He was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 10th May 1944 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 10th November 1945. He was also awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron, Gazetted on 25th September 1945. Post-war he remained in the RAFVR until reliquishing his commission on 23rd March 1958 on appointment to the Territorial Army. He died in 2011.
His obituary printed in The Northern Echo in November 2011, is in the main complete rubbish, it stated that he.. joined the RAFVR at 21...flew Hurricanes.. was awarded the DFM after being shot down into the sea on 15th November 1941 on his 21st birthday (but he had apparently joined the RAF at 21?!).. earned several medals, including one during the Battle of Britain (which was in 1940 before he joined the RAF)... evaded capture after being shot down over Belgium (name not found in evasion reports)... on another occasion, having told his crew to bail out, he flew a badly-damaged plane back to England before landing in a field, for which he received the DFC (he was not a pilot and would not have the authority to order a crew to bale out). Nonetheless this does not detract from his fine wartime RAF service in Bomber Command.
Richard Hyde was awarded the DFM for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 11th February 1944 and the citation (as located by Hugh Halliday) states "Flight Sergeant Hyde has completed a tour of operational duty, during which he has participated in attacks on some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany. His coolness and exceptional fearlessness in the face of the enemy have played no small in the successes achieved by his crew. On one occasion he shared in the destruction of an enemy aircraft. This airman's work on the ground has been of the highest standard and he has consistently displayed enthusiasm and devotion to duty." Sgt Hyde submitted a combat report on 26th July 1943 while with 78 Squadron and this is probably the event mentioned in his citation.
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