Halifax damaged by night-fighters (returned to East Moor airfield).
On the 26th of July 1942 this Halifax had bombed Hamburg, it was attacked by a Fw190 night fighter and another three aircraft
and sustained damage to the port
outer engine, which had to be feathered. The rear turret was also smashed by cannon fire. It made a three engine landing back at
East Moor without incident in the eary hours of the 27th July and Cat A(c)/FA damaged was declared. There were no casualties reported however the
rear gunners appears not to have taken part in any further Ops with 158 Sqdn after this date suggesting he was indeed injured or simply lost his nerve and
was replaced.
Pilot - P/O Clive H Phillips RAAF (402537), of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia. Husband of Dorothy E Phillips,
of Hampstead, London, England. Ok. His wife later re-married.
Nav - P/O Leslie V Harvey RAAF (400239), ok.
F Eng - Sgt D H Furness RAF (571405), ok.
Air Bomber - Sgt E G Price RCAF (R/84592), ok.
W Op - Sgt W A Thompson RAF (1310697), ok.
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt J A Byrne (954513), ok.
Rear Gunner - P/O Curtis , ok.
P/O Phillips was initially buried in Oldebrook General Cemetery, Holland.
Following P/O Harvey capture he was later taken to Stalag Luft III where he was held for two and a half years. He
was at the Camp during the "Great Escape" and the murder of 53 escapees.
He later was forced to march many miles from Sagan to Marlag und Milag Nord and later from there to Lubeck. These death
marchs were horrendous for those
who were forced to undertake them and the outcome is well documented on the internet. Thankfully he was liberated and returned to the UK
and it is thought he was able to return home to his native Australia in 1946.
The aircraft was built to contract B982938/39 by E.E.C. Ltd at Salmesbury and delivered directly to 158 Sqdn at East Moor during
the second week of July 1942. Cat. A(c)/FB was recorded after the incident detailed above and it was repaired on site and was back in
service by 5th August 1942. It was lost (Cat. E(m)) when it failed to return from Ops to Bochum on 6th August 1942. The actual events
with this loss deserve a mention. The aircraft
had been damaged by a night fighter injuring one of the crew. It was thought that the pilot, P/O Phillips, gave his life trying to
save that of his fellow airman, P/O J E Marshall, who had been badly wounded and could not bale out. The rest of the crew baled out
and the pilot was attempting a landing but the aircraft broke up before this was being done. Both men were killed. Another case of the War's unsung hero's.
P/O Phillips was aged 27. Of the crew listed above when it sustained damage in July, Sgt Furness, Sgt Byrne, Sgt Thompson and P/O Harvey
became PoW's whilst Sgt Price evaded capture.