Lancaster W4884 damaged by flak, returned to Breighton airfield.
On night of 4th / 5th May 1943 the crew of this 460 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Dortmund and took off from Breighton airfield at 22.26hrs. They bombed the target area at 01.44hrs but the aircraft was hit in the starboard inner engine by flak. They were able to make a safe return to Breighton and land there at 04.15hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Beresford Milton Troy Davis RAAF (405966).
Navigator - Sgt Kenneth Douglas Dyce RAAF (412411).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Clarence Goldthorpe RAAF (405849).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Stanley Biffen RAAF (411839).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Eric Rowlands RAFVR (1040539).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Charles Sinclair Wright RAAF (421066).
Air Gunner - Sgt Frederick Wilson Ralph RCAF (R/152317).
Clarence Goldthorpe was born on 5th July 1911 in Cooroy, Queensland to British parents and enlisted into the RAAF in Brisbane on 21st June 1941. After training at 10 (O)AFU, 27 OTU and 1656 CU he was posted to 460 Squadron on 21st April 1943.
All of the above were flying together on 23rd / 24th May 1943 in Lancaster W4984 on Ops to Dortmund again when the aircraft was shot down over Holland. Sgt Goldthorpe survived and became a PoW but sadly the others were killed. They are buried in Schoonebeek General Cemetery, Holland.
Lancaster W4844 was built to contract B.69275/40 by Metropolitan Vickers Ltd. at Trafford Park. On 19th December 1942 it was taken to A.V.Roe and Co.Ltd, at Woodford for assembly. On 29th December 1942 it was taken on charge by 460 Squadron at Breighton. As a result of minor flak damage sustained on 3rd April 1943 Cat.A/FB damage would have been the assessment which saw it swiftly repaired on site. The aircraft then sustained further flak damage on 5th May 1943 where Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment. The repair was made on site and was begun on 8th May 1943. Once complete it was returned to 460 Squadron on 19th June 1943 but they had moved to Binbrook by this date. It was re-coded "AR-D". On 4th July 1943 it failed to return from Ops to Cologne with the loss of the seven crew. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge.