Halifax LW268 at Catfoss airfield.
On the night of 22nd / 23rd September 1943 this 158 Squadron was flown on an operational flight to bomb Hanover. The aircraft took off from Lissett airfield at 18.59hrs and they released their bomb load over the target area from 18,000 feet at 21.39hrs. On their return to Yorkshire the aircraft landed at Catfoss at 00.05hrs but why this happened is not clear. Twenty five minutes later and while taking off from Catfoss at 00.30hrs the aircraft swung and struck a chance light. Minor damage to the aircraft resulted. Flying Control at Catfoss should not have allowed the crew to take off at night to return to their home airfield, the standing order was that all crews landed at strange airfields on return from Ops wait until daylight hours before flying back to the home airfields.
Pilot - P/O John Albert Victor Denton RAFVR (155464).
Navigator - F/Sgt Stanley Dale RAFVR (). 169884
Second Navigator - F/O Headley.
Bomb Aimer - P/O John Reginald Dalton Morgan RAFVR (148475).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Norman Harry Stimson RAFVR (1292827).
Air Gunner - Sgt Eric Furniss RAFVR (1033580).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Noel Patterson RAFVR (1495663).
Flight Engineer - P/O Reginald George Weston Richards RAFVR (158407).