Lancaster W4332 damaged in the air, returned to Breighton airfield.
On evening of 28th February 1943 the crew of this 460 Squadron aircraft were to undertake an operational flight to St.Nazaire and took off from Breighton at 18.37hrs. They dropped their bomb load over the target at 21.22hrs but while over the target the aircraft was struck from above by a falling incendiary bomb and a hole made in the port side of the fuselage. The aircraft landed safely at Breighton at 23.59hrs.
In an account of the incident written by the navigator in 1993 he recalled that their aircraft was about to drop their bombs when the inside of the
aircraft burst into flames. An aircraft flying above theirs and on the wrong approach to the target while flying at right angles had released their incendiaries
across the flight path of this Lancaster. One of the incendiaries had broken in two on hitting the fuselage, made holes in the skin and ignited on
entering the aircraft just behind the navigator's position. The wireless operator put out the fire with the extinguisher and they dropped their bombs. On landing they discovered that one of the engine nacelles had also been hit by another incendiary bomb.
Pilot - F/Sgt Alfred Bertram Boyle RAAF (404713).
Navigator - P/O Ronald Frederick Friend RAAF (411138).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Hugh Jenkin Trafford RAFVR (1279470).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Alexander William MacRae RAAF (401312).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Ross Austin RAAF (403682).
Air Gunner - Sgt Alfred William Clark RAFVR (1387144).
Air Gunner - Sgt Alfred George Osborn RAAF (403678).
He was awarded the DFC for service with 460 Squadron, Gazetted on 15th June 1943, the citation reads.. "A fine operational captain of aircraft, W/O Boyle has completed a large number of successful sorties over Germany, Italy enemy occupied France, including attacks on heavily defended targets at Berlin and Essen. On one occasion, during an attack on St.Nazaire, W/O Boyle's aircraft was struck by a falling incendiary, which ignited inside the fuselage during the bombing run. Nevertheless, this airman completed his attack before attempting to deal with the incendiary."
As Acting F/Lt he was awarded the Bar to the DFC, Gazetted on 23rd March 1945 for service with 467 Squadron. He ended the War having completed fifty one operational sorties and was posted to flying transport aircraft with 511 Squadron on shuttle runs from Britain to India and the Azores. He returned to Australia in 1946 and served as an air traffic control officer in Canberra until mid-1947, when he resumed flying duties. In 1950 he joined 11 Squadron, a maritime reconnaissance unit equipped with Lincoln and later Neptune aircraft. He was the pilot of Lincoln A73-30 undertaking a training flight on 20th June 1949 when the aircraft suffered an engine failure and was force landed in the region of 180 miles north east of Brisbane without injury to any of the four crew. Early in 1952 he piloted a Lincoln to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to pick up a seriously injured airman. On the hazardous return flight to Perth, the aircraft’s radios and two of its four engines failed and he had no option but to make a forced landing. For his leadership, initiative and flying skill he was awarded the Air Force Cross. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on 1st January 1953 and after holding a number of staff appointments from 1954, he transferred to the Retired List on 11th August 1957. He worked as a senior officer at a reform institution for boys in Perth before finally retiring in 1979. He died on 29th May 1988 in Perth.
For service with 460 Squadron he was awarded DFC, Gazetted on 15th June 1943 but no citation has yet been located. Following his time with 460 Squadron he was posted to Bomber Command HQ, he later trained on H2S navigating and spent time instructing with the PFF at Warboys before a posting to 103 Squadron based at Elsham Wold. He ended the war being a first class air navigator for Qantas flying aircraft between Australia to India. Post-war he returned to tecahing and died in March 1994.
Lancaster W4332 was built to contract B.69274/40 by A.V.Roe & Co. Ltd. at Chadderton. It was taken on charge by 460 Squadron at Breighton on 24th October 1942. It sustained Cat.A/FA damage on 10th December 1942 that was swiftly repaired on site. On an operational flight on 17th / 18th January 1943 on landing the tail wheel assembly mounting beam was found damaged. A modification had not been made to sort the problem. Work started on a repair on site by A.V.Roe Ltd on 21st January 1943 and was returned to 460 Squadron nine days later. As a result of minor operational damage sustained on 28th February 1943 the AM Form 78 states minor Cat.Ac/FB damage was assessed on 1st March 1943 which required a repair on site. It was returned to 460 Squadron on 13th March 1943. Further damage on 21st April 1943 probably resulted in Cat.A/FB damage would have been repaired on site though the AM Form 78 does not mention this incident. On 14th May 1943 460 Squadron moved to Binbrook. On 17th June 1943 crashed on the island of Beverland, Holland on an operational flight to Cologne. It's then crew of seven were killed and Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork.
Hugh Trafford later received a commission on 5th April 1943 (144884) to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He was killed on Ops to Krefeld on 22nd June 1943 while flying in Lancaster W4939 and is buried in Rheinburg War Cemetery, he was twenty one years old.
Sgt Clark was killed on Ops to Plzen on 17th April 1943 in Lancaster W4942, he is buried in Durnbach War Cemetery and was twenty years old.
Alfred Osborn was born on 9th June 1922 in Raymond Terrace, New South Wales and enlisted into the RAAF in Sydney. He later received his commission. He was made a PoW on 28th January 1944 when Lancaster JB296 failed to return from Ops to Berlin, all the crew survived but were made prisoners of War.
Alexander MacRae was born on 3rd March 1911 in Learmonth, Victoria and enlisted in Melbourne. For service with 460 Squadron he was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 14th May 1943. He was presented with the DFM at Buckingham Palace on 30th November 1943.
Alfred "Paddy" Boyle was born on 10th August 1914 at Springsure, Queensland and was educated at Westwood State School and at Rockhampton High School and Technical College, he worked as a book-keeper, jackeroo and miner before enlisting in the RAAF on 8th November 1940. After basic training he gained his Wings in August 1941 and arrived in the UK soon after. He flew his first operational tour with a mixture of squadrons, 35, 51 and later 460 Squadron. Soon after arriving at 460 Squadron he lost his crew while flying with another pilot. He received his commission on 14th March 1943 and after completing his first Tour he was posted to instruct at 27 OTU until June 1944 when he was posted to 467 Squadron and begun a second Tour.
John Austin was born on 20th December 1919 in Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. He enlisted in the RAAF in Brisbane in March 1941 and after training his first operational posting was to 156 Squadron in September 1942. In November he transferred to 460 Squadron. He was back to Australia in February 1944 with to 1 OTU and then received a posting to 13 RAAF Squadron, based at Gove, Northern Territory, flying Venturas. He was discharged from the RAAF in February 1946 having risen to the rank of F/Lt.
Ronald Friend was born on 30th August 1913 in North Sydney, New South Wales and was teaching when he enlisted into the RAAF in Sydney. After training in Canada he received his commisson and arrived in Scotland in mid-1942, he was posted to complete his training at Lichfield's OTU. While at the OTU he flew his first operational flight on 28th July 1942 to Hamburg. He and his crew completed their training and were posted to 460 Squadron the following month but soon after arriving their his pilot was killed flying an operational flight as a second "dickie" pilot to gain flying experience. From then on what was left of his crew remained with 460 Squadron as spare aircrew but soon after all except P/O Friend were flying an operational flight with another pilot and their aircraft crashed, all airmen sustained serious injuries. Ron Friend remained with 460 Squadron though their conversion in Halifaxes to Lancasters but did not fly operationally until 9th January 1943. He eventually formed a "new" crew with many of those named above and complete his Tour with 460 Squadron on 20th April 1943. Ron Friend wrote his memoirs of his flying days in England and they are now shown on his son's website "www.friendfamily.com/rff/ronmemos.htm", not only do they detail his flying but give a good insight into flying in Bomber Command in Yorkshire in 1943.