Halifax W7935 damaged by flak, returned to Pocklington airfield.
On evening of 3rd April 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Essen, they took off from Pocklington at 19.44hrs and bombed the target area from around 18,000ft. Over the target and before they released the load they were caught in the beams of two search-lights, the pilot took evasive action and the aircraft lost 2,000ft but also lost the light beams. Later the aircraft was again caught in search-light beams and evaded the beams again and they
made another run over the target to drop the bomb load. The aircraft was slightly damaged by flak in the tail, an oil tank and a radiator were also hit but the aircraft landed safely at Pocklington at 00.42hrs on 4th April 1943.
Pilot - Sgt Albert Thomas MacQuarie RAFVR (1331712).
Navigator - P/O Frank James Steer RAFVR (145107).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Robert Laws RAFVR (745880).
Air Gunner - Sgt L G Dunn RAFVR (1580897).
Air Gunner - Sgt A A Joseph.
Flight Engineer - Sgt A Hayes (Possibly Sgt Albert Hayes RAFVR (746694)?).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Leslie Bays RAFVR (197292).
Whilst training at 1658 H.C.U. at Riccall on 28th February 1943 Sgt MacQuarie was the pilot of Halifax BB222 which was damaged on landing. On 29th / 30th July 1943 he and his then crew were lost on Ops to bomb Hamburg and it was believed that their aircraft, Halifax W7883, was shot down by an enemy night-fighter. All his then crew were killed and all are buried in Hamburg Cemetery. He was twenty two years old.
Frank Steer received a commission on 28th March 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation, he was promoted to F/O on 28th September 1943 and was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 19th October 1943. He was later promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 28th March 1945. Post-War he transferred to the RAF and was granted a commission as F/Lt (permanent) on 23rd October 1948 and finally retired from the 20th December 1962.
William Laws was born in Henley on Thames in 1918 and joined the RAFVR in September 1939. After training he joined 102 Squadron and originally appears to have flown Whitleys before converting to Halifaxes. The events surrounding his award of the DFM are very well documented in the internet and I do not plan on copying these works. On the night of 16th / 17th April 1943 he was flying in Halifax HR663 on Ops to Plzen when the aircraft was attacked and badly damaged by a night fighter, the crew abandoned the aircraft and he survived the landing. He evaded captured and returned to England, via France, Spain and Gibraltar. He was awarded the DFM for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th July 1943. His medal set sold at auction in 2009.
Leslie Bays received a commission on 20th July 1942 to the rank of P/O on probation, he was then promoted to F/O on 20th January 1943.
Both F/O Bays and Sgt Dunn were flying Ops together to Mannheim in Halifax JD408 on the night of 9th / 10th August 1943, their aircraft was badly
damaged by a night-fighter and the crew abandoned but F/O Bays struck a proeller on exiting the aircraft and was severely injured.
F/O Bays died of his injuries and is now buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery, he was thirty two years old. Sgt Dunn became a PoW.
A Flight Engineer F/Sgt Albert Hayes RAFVR (746694) of 76 Squadron died on 6th October 1943 having been injured two days earlier when Halifax DK203 ditched on Ops to Kassel. He is buried Leewarden Northern General Cemetery. He may well be the same person as whom served with 102 Squadron earlier in the year.
Halifax W7935 was built to contract B.73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Pocklington on 5th December 1942. As a result of minor flak damage sustained on 4th April 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment which saw it repaired on site. On 14th May 1943 it was ditched 21 miles East of Great Yarmouth on return from an operational fligh to Bochum. All the then crew were rescued. Cat.E/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on 17th May 1943 having clocked up just over 200 flying hours.