Halifax MZ399 damaged in the air, landed at Carnaby airfield.
On 24th December 1944 this 158 Squadron aircraft was flown on an operational flight to bomb Essen-Mulheim airfield and took off from Lissett airfield at 11.22hrs. Shortly before releasing the bomb load at 14.36hrs at 20,000 feet the aircraft was hit by flak in the nose which caused damage to the fuselage. Unfortunately
this caused an oxygen bottle to burst in the flight engineer's position. The crew went on to release their bomb load and flew back to Yorkshire but landed at Carnaby at 16.25hrs.
This may also be the incident mentioned in the Carnaby airfield record book where a flight engineer of a Halifax that landed there with wounds to his forehead and left eye with small pieces of
metal following flak damage over the target. These foreign bodies were removed there under cocaine, dressings were applied and he was returned to unit on 29th December 1944. I have a doubt as to
this is the flight engineer because he is mentioned in the 158 Squadron records as being back flying operationally on 28th December 1944.
Pilot - F/Lt John Stevenson Watson RAFVR (146415).
Navigator - F/O Robert Ernest Kennedy RNZAF (NZ.425792).
Air Bomber - F/Sgt Frederick Day RAF (540938).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt John Joseph Mason RAAF (418670).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Roy Errington RAFVR (947199).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Ronald Holdsworth RAFVR (993367).
Flight Engineer - P/O George McCutcheon RAFVR (187467).