Halifax damaged by night-fighter (returned to East Moor airfield).
On the night of the 26/27th September 1942 this aircraft was detailed to attack Flensburg which it did
successfully having taken off from East Moor
around 20.00hrs on the 26th.
On the return leg it was attacked by a twin engine night-fighter which caused severe damaged to port tailplane and the fuel
tanks also holed. The attacker was driven off by the rear gunner. The aircraft landed safely back at East Moor and was
declared Cat A(c)/FB damaged on the 27th September.
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
first week of August 1942 but was not used operationally until 19th September 1942. This would appear not to have been a popular aircraft as it was seldom used;
it only completed three Operational flights during it's three months on charge with 158 Sqdn. Following the damage detailed above it
was repaired on site and was ready for use again by the 13th October 1942. It then transferred to 1656 HCU at Lindholme when 158 Sqdn
moved to Rufforth on 6th November 1942 and served with 1656 HCU until it was transferred to 1662 HCU at Blyton at the end of 1943.
It was finally written off with Cat. E2/FA damage on 27th March 1944 when the aircraft swung on take off at Blyton and the undercarriage
collapsed.
Pilot - Sgt Gordon S Hughes RAFVR (133353), of Dagenham, Essex.
Nav - Sgt Lloyd D Clark RNZAF (404894).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt James S Anderson RCAF, of Craigmyle, Alberta, Canada.
W Op - Sgt H F Hand
Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Jack De-la-War Anstruther RAFVR (1376882), of Harrow, Middlesex.
F Eng - Sgt Alfred Anderson RAFVR (938999), of Glasgow.
Rear Gunner - Sgt A North (or J North).
F/Sgt James S Anderson was seriously injured on 14th October 1942 when Halifax W7766 crashed on landing at East Moor on return from Ops to
Kiel. He died from his injuries three days later in Fulford Military Hospital, York and is buried in Fulford Cemetery.
This incident is also detailed on this website.
P/O Hughes, Sgt A Anderson and F/Sgt Clark were lost when Halifax W7862 failed to return from Ops to Genova on 23rd October 1942. The aircraft is believed
to have crashed in the English Channel. Their bodies were not recovered. Hughes was aged 20, Anderson and Clark were both aged 27.