Halifax W7772 damaged on Ops, returned to Snaith airfield.
At 18.58hrs on 5th March 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield to carry out an opertional flight to bomb Essen, while over the target area the aircraft was hit by something which the pilot initially believed to have been flak. After releasing their bombload and returning Snaith at 23.45hrs the damage was inspected and it was found that a hole in the wing. An un-exploded incendiary bomb was found inside the wing. It was thought that an aircraft flying higher than this aircraft had released their bombs as W7772 passed below it, one of the incendiaries had made a hole in the wing and had been rolling around inside the wing on the return flight.
There is an AM Form 1180 for an identical incident two days earlier involving this crew on Ops to Hamburg in Halifax DT638 but as the squadron records give the operational information as stated above to W7772 two days later I can only believe they relate to two seperate incidents.
Pilot - P/O Norman Garforth RAFVR (138682).
Navigator - F/O Ralph Ashley Shonk RCAF (J/10406).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Alexander Aloyisius McGregor RAF (617161).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Benjamin Hounslow RAFVR (934162).
Flight Engineer - Sgt W R Morris RAFVR (958188).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Donald John Cameron RCAF (R/99776).
Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Gordon Carrington RAF (514361).
Norman Garforth was involved in a minor flying accident while training at Marston Moor on 2nd December 1942 while flying in Halifax R9493. He received a commission on 23rd December 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency), he was promoted to F/O on 23rd June 1943 and to F/Lt on 23rd December 1944. He was posted to 578 Squadron on an unknown date. On 26th January 1945 he was the pilot of Halifax NA574 undertaking a fighter affiliation exercise when the aircraft suffered engine failure, after attempting to feather the engine which failed part of the port wing caught fire and then broke away. Only two of the crew were able to bale out before the aircraft crashed near West Haddlesey, near Selby, Yorkshire with the loss of five airmen. He was twenty three years old and is buried in Halifax Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Sgt McGregor (22), P/O Cameron, F/Sgt Carrington (32) were killed on 28th August 1943 while still serving with 51 Squadron, they were flying in Halifax HR869 on Ops to Nuremburg when the aircraft crashed in Germany and they are now buried in Durnbach War Cemetery. CWGC list no personal information for Cameron.
Ralph Shonk's brother Kenneth Was killed in a Miles Master crash near Crosby on Eden on 7th July 1941 while training with 59 OTU. Ralph survived the War and returned to Canada. He died in January 2001.
Sgt Morris is listed in the 51 Squadron ORB as being absent without leave in June 1943. Once caught he was court martialled, found guilty, reduced in rank, sentanced to 56 days detention. After this nothing more is known about him.
Halifax W7772 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was initially taken on charge by 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on 7th July 1942 before being transferred to 51 Squadron at Snaith once they began conversion to fly Halifaxes on 1st November 1943. It was used on their first Halifax operational sortie on 9th January 1943. On 15th January 1943 the tail wheel broke at Snaith Cat.Ac/Fa damage was the assessment, it was repaired on site and returned to 51 Squadron on 9th February 1943. The aircraft sustained minor Cat.A/FB damage as a result of battle damage on 5th March 1943 and was repaired on site (apparently within three days, when it next appears being used on Ops). The aircraft then disappears from operational use with 51 Squadron in April 1943. On 12th May 1943 the AM Form 78 states that a repair on site by Handley Page was begun and that it was returned to 51 Squadron on 5th July 1943. It was transferred to 10 Squadron at Melbourne on 20th August 1943 and does not appear to have been used on operationally by them. On 18th September 1943 it was transferred to 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit at Wigsley and was then quickly moved on to 1668 H.C.U. at Balderton. On 28th November 1943 it passed to 1656 H.C.U. at Lindholme. On 5th January 1944 it crashed at Grimley, Nottinghamshire. This accident saw Cat.E2/FA damage be the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 16th January 1944.