On the evening of 7th March 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Pocklington airfield at 18.26hrs to undertake an operational flight to lay mines. At 19.29hrs the aircraft was hit by flak and received damage to the starboard inner propeller and engine. The aircraft also suffered an oil leak in the port inner engine. Despite the damage the crew were able to bring the aircraft safely back to base and landed at Pocklington airfield at 21.40hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Murray Quinn Moffatt RCAF (R/93488)
Navigator - P/O John Dartry Erzinger RCAF (J/7023).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Cecil Herbert Hurle RAFVR (1193559).
Air Gunner - P/O Garfield Davies RAFVR (137587).
Air Gunner - Sgt William James Holman RAFVR (1190817).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Charles Gerard Gowan RCAF (R/71815).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Donald Francis Moon RAF (658627).
Halifax W7927 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett. It was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Pocklington on 18th November 1942 and was first used operationally by them on 6th December 1942. It sustained battle damage on 7th March 1943 (Cat.Ac/FB), 30th May 1943 (Cat.A/FB) and 10th August 1943 (Cat.Ac/FB) with it being repaired on site each time. The latter is not recorded in the squadron records and must relate to damage sustained the previous night. The aircraft was transferred to 466 Squadron 6th October 1943 when they began conversion from Wellingtons to Halifax MkII. In January 1944 the aircraft was deemed in need of a repair on site by Handley Page. It was returned to 466 Squadron use on completion but shortly after on 12th March 1944 it was transferred to 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit at Riccall. On 10th April 1944 it suffered an engine failure and crashed on landing at Fairwood Common which saw the aircraft badly damaged. It was not repaired and was written off with Cat.E/FA damage recorded. The aircraft was struck off charge on 28th April 1944.
On 13th May 1943 all of the above were flying Halifax JB799 on Ops to Duisburg when the aircraft crashed in the North Sea with the loss of the whole crew. Erzinger, Moon and Holman are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial while the bodies of the others were eventually located and they are buried in cemeteries in Germany, Holland or Belgium.
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