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

On the 2nd of October 1942 this aircraft was hit by flak on a raid on Krefeld. The aircraft was coned in search lights for five minutes, damaged was sustained to the pilots escape hatch (which was blown out) with the tailplane and mid upper turret being holed.

The aircraft was built to contract B73328/40 by Handley Page Ltd at Radlett and delivered directly to 158 Sqdn at East Moor during the second week of June 1942 and was used in 158 Sqdn's first Operational night from East Moor on 25th June 1942. It sustained Cat. A(c)/FB damage on 10th September 1942 and was repaired on site, with repair being completed by 26th September 1942. It was again damaged on Ops (detailed above) and sustained Cat. A(c)/FB on 2nd October 1942 and was again repaired on site. The repair was completed by 6th October 1942. It was lost as Cat. E(m) on 9th January 1943 when it failed to return from Gardening as a result of being shotdown by 'flak' and crashing near Bryndun, 1 km. North of Tarp, Denmark, with the lost of 7 of the 8 crew.

Pilot - Sgt Gordon S Hughes RAFVR (133353), of Dagenham, Essex.

Nav - Sgt Lloyd D Clark RNZAF, ok

BA - Sgt William E E Priddin RCAF (R/74230), of Saugus, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

MUG - Sgt H F Hand.

WOP/AG - Sgt Jack De-la-War Anstruther RAFVR (1376882), of Harrow, Middlesex.

F Eng - Sgt Alfred Anderson RAFVR (938999), of Glasgow.

RG - Sgt J North (or A North)

2nd Pilot - P/O Gerald B Herbert RAFVR (116456), of Theale.

Sgt Hughes, Clarke and Anderson were killed on 23rd October 1942 when their Halifax crashed in the English Channel. Hughes was aged 20, Anderson and Clark were aged 27. They are listed on the Runnymede Memorial.

Jack Anstruther was lost on 17th November 1942 when Halifax W7863 crashed in France. He was aged 30.

WO2 William Priddin was lost on 28th April 1943 when Halifax HR773 went missing on a minelaying Op. He was aged 23.

F/O Gerald Herbert was killed in action on 14th February 1943, aged 20. Halifax DT696, 158 Sqdn crashed soon after taking off near Stillingfleet, Yorkshire. He was the son of Commodore Philip Herbert and Gwendolin Hughes Herbert and nephew of Colonel G.N. Herbert and E Herbert, of Theale. His brothers Richard V and Philip W Herbert also died on service.