Halifax W7860 damaged by flak, returned to Breighton airfield.
At 18.43hrs on 1st March 1943 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield to carry out an opertional flight to bomb Berlin, the crew dropped their bomb load onto the PFF markers but while over the target area the aircraft was hit by flak and received damage to the hydraulic system. The crew were able to return to Snaith airfield and land at Breighton airfield but the lack of hydraulics resulted in a wheels-up crash landing being made at Breighton at 02.43hrs on 2nd March 1943.
Pilot - WO Elihu Paul Acree RCAF (R/71437).
Navigator - Sgt Cyril Duggan Hughes RAFVR (1036179).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Jack Eric Ulrich RAFVR (131775).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Herbert Francis Maughan RCAF (R/106632).
Flight Engineer - Sgt George Steer RAFVR (922222).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Elwell RAFVR (1070951).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jack Roderick RAFVR (1102425).
Halifax W7860 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was taken on charge by 103 Squadron at Elsham Wolds on 21st September 1942. The aircraft was transferred to 51 Squadron at Snaith on 3rd November 1942 when 103 Squadron ceased operating the type. As a result of the damage sustained on 2nd March 1943 the damage was assessed, possibly initially as Cat.Ac/FB as it took until 23rd March 1943 for it to be taken for a repair in works by Handley Page at their works factory and this would have seen a Cat.B damage assessment made. On 11th November 1943 it was passed as servicable and was taken on charge by 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit at Balderton. The aircraft later transferred to 1656 H.C.U. at Lindholme on 28th November 1943. On 15th November 1944 it sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage in a flying accident. The repair was carried out on site and it was returned to 1656 H.C.U. on 4th December 1944. Following a major inspection the aircraft was struck off charge on 8th February 1945.
Sgt Roderick was posted from 19 OTU to 51 Squadron on 20th May 1942 and was then posted from 51 Squadron to 76 Squadron on 4th May 1943. Nothing more is known about him.
Cyril Hughes was posted from 158 Squadron to 51 Squadron on 12th February 1943 and was later posted to 35 Squadron PFF. On 30th July 1943 he was killed flying in Halifax HR851 on Ops to Hamburg, he is buried in Hamburg Cemetery.
Elihu Acree was born on 12th April 1913 in Baudette, Minnesota, USA. After service with 51 Squadron he was posted away on 28th March 1943 to 24 OTU and later served with 428 Squadron RCAF. He was the pilot of Lancaster KB764 that was ditched in the Atlantic on 4th June 1945 off the Azores while on the flight back home to Canada having left Middleton St.George earlier in the week, all were picked up and survived and continued their journey on different aircraft. He died in July 1991 in Rainy River, Ontario, Canada.
Sgt Elwell was posted from 51 Squadron to 1663 HCU in April 1943. He was later made a PoW while serving with 35 Squadron PFF on 24th August 1943 when Halifax HR846 was shot down by a night fighter on Ops to Berlin. The book "Regret to Inform You" by Gordon Hurley details this incident and the crew's subsequent capture. He appears to have changed his name to John and remained in the RAF well into the 1970s.
Sgt George Steer was killed on 14th May 1943 while flying in Halifax HR790 which was shot down by a night fighter over Holland and crashed near the village of Rectum. He is buried in Wierden General Cemetery, Holland and was twenty two years old.
Jack Ulrich received a commission on 3rd November 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). He was killed on 7th March 1943 flying a minelaying flight in Halifax DT567, the aircraft failed to return and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. CWGC lists no personal information for him.
Sgt Herbert Maughan posted from 158 Squadron to 51 Squadron on 12th February 1943. He was killed on 28th August 1943 flying Ops to Nuremburg in Halifax HR869 when the aircraft crashed in Germany, he is buried in Durnbach War Cemetery.