Halifax damaged by FLAK (returned to East Moor airfield).

On the 25th of June 1942 this Halifax took from East Moor for Ops to Bremen, it was hit by flak and the bomb release gear in the nose was damaged. The starboard outer engine was also damaged and the fuselage scarred. The aircraft made it back to base and landed at 05.27hrs where Cat A(c)/FA damage was declared immediately. The crew were not thought to have been injured.

The aircraft was built to contract B73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd, at Radlett and delivered directly to 158 Sqdn at East Moor on 8th June 1942. Damage was recorded as Cat. A(c)/FB following the incident on 26th June 1942. It was repaired at East Moor and returned to service by 8th July 1942 and continued to be used by 158 Sqdn. It was recorded as Cat. E(m) on 11th September 1942 when it failed to return from Ops to Dusseldorf. It was thought to have crashed at sea and bodies of five of the eight on board were washed ashore on Holland and Belgium.

Pilot - W/C P Stevens DFC RAF, ok.

2nd Pilot - Sgt Leslie J W Beckman RAFVR (1382013), of Fulham, London. Ok.

F/Eng - Sgt V G Hope, (Hop), ok.

Nav - F/O Leonard J Fairbairn RNZAF (401492), of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. Ok.

A/B - Sgt M A J Pierce, ok.

W/Op - Sgt E C Evershed, ok.

Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Norman G E Perrett RAFVR (1164775), of Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. Ok.

Rear Gunner - Sgt C R Palm. Ok.

F/Sgt Beckman was lost on the 16th of September 1942 when Halifax W1222 crashed in Germany, he was only 20 years old.
Sgt Perrett was killed on 23rd October 1942 when Halifax W7862 crashed into the English Channel, he was 22 years old.
Sgt Evershed became a POW on 1st August 1942 when his Halifax W1190 was shot by Flak and ditched. He was in the same crew as S/L Hewitt (see previous flak listing).
Sgt Palm became a POW on 20th September 1942 when control was lost over the target in Halifax W7777, he and his pilot were thrown clear but the rest of his crew were all killed. (Halifax W7777 was also damaged by Flak and appears on this website on 31st July 1942).
F/O Fairbairn was killed on 17th November 1942 when Halifax W7863 crashed in France. Seven were killed, one became a PoW.