Handley Page Halifax Serial Groups Specifications

Bombing Aachen Germany 1943-07-13 to 1943-07-14

427 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

427 Lion Squadron (Ferte Manus Certe) RAF Leeming. Halifax V aircraft DK 142 ZL-C, on a raid against targets in Aachen, Germany was attacked by multiple night fighters. The bomber was abandoned and crashed on the banks of the river Waal northwest of Dreumel, Gelderland, Netherlands

The entire crew survived

Warrant Officer Class 2 WH Green (RCAF), Sergeant JH Brown (RCAF), Sergeant SW Bryant (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 JF Hutchings (RCAF), Sergeant RT Hayes (RCAF) and Warrant Officer Class 2 ME Sobkowicz (RCAF) were all taken as Prisoners of War

Warrant Officer Class 2 JRR Poudrier (RCAF) survived and evaded until betrayed by a Belgian criminal, to be arrested became a Prisoner of War

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DK142 427 Sqdn Halifax

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Bombing 1943-10-21 to 1943-10-22

427 (B) BG (RCAF) Skipton on Swale

Battle of the Ruhr

Bombing Bochum Germany 1943-06-12 to 1943-06-13

427 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

Shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Prins Hendrikpolder, Den Hoorn, Texel island, Noord-Holland.

Killed includes Dixon:Pilot Officer George William Rupert Dalton RCAF J/17164 KIA Sergeant James Imms RAF 640842 KIA Bergen General Cemetery, NetherlandsPilot Officer Bernard Laird Tedford RCAF J/17609 KIA Den Burg Cemetery, Texel, Holland, Plot K. Row 3. Grave 52.Pilot Officer Alexander Mathias Fellner RCAF J/16714 POW Stalag 9C, POW# 1726.Pilot Officer Gerrard Smith Huston RCAF J/17316 POW Stalag Luft L3 Sagan & Belaria, POW# 1699.Pilot Officer William Angus Thurston RCAF J/17163 POW Stalag Luft L3, Sagan & Belaria, POW# 1509.

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Bombing Dusseldorf Germany 1943-06-11 to 1943-06-12

427 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Leeming

427 Lion Squadron (Ferte Manus Certe) RAF Leeming. Halifax BV aircraft DK 192 ZL-V returned to RAF Oulton with battle damage after an operation to Dusseldorf, Germany. While on a taxiway the Halifax was in a collision with 431 Squadron Wellington HF 543 SE-P that had also returned to RAF Oulton with battle damage. There were no casualties from either aircraft but the Wellington was written off. The Halifax was repaired and sent to HCU 1663 but later lost 1944-02-07 along with the entire RAF crew while on a training flight

Flight Lieutenant IP Colquhoun (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 2 JR Dobie (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant WE Beswick (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 1 SW Bryant (RCAF), FS JPC LaPointe (RCAF), Sergeant G Millard (RCAF) and FS LC Patrick (RCAF) all survived safe

Bombing 1943-10-21 to 1943-10-22

427 (B) BG (RCAF) Skipton on Swale

Battle of the Ruhr

Bombing Peenemunde Germany 1943-08-17 to 1943-08-18

434 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Tholthorpe

434 Bluenose Squadron (In Excelsis Vincimus) RAF Tholthorpe, Halifax BV aircraft DK 260 IP-M was engaged in operations against the V-2 rocket sites at Peenemunde, Germany when it was attacked by a night fighter which was shot down. A second night fighter attack resulted in the Halifax crashing near Wolgast, Germany

Flight Lieutenant IL Colquhoun (RCAF), Warrant Officer Class 1 CP Fitzpatrick (RCAF) and FS Lapointe (RCAF) were all killed in action

Sergeant DA Young (RAFVR) was missing, presumed killed in action

Sergeant Young has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede War Memorial

Sergeant JR Dobie (RCAF), Flying Officer WE Beswick (RCAF) and Sergeant PS Crees (RAF) survived and were taken as Prisoners of War

There were two more 434 Squadron Halifax V aircraft lost on this date. Please see aircraft serials EB 258 IP-T and EB 276 IP-G for additional information

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Bombing Hannover Germany 1943-10-08 to 1943-10-09

(B) Sqn (RCAF) Tholthorpe

Battle of Berlin

504 aircraft- 282 Lancasters, 188 Halifaxes, 26 Wellingtons, 8 Mosquitoes. This was the last Bomber Command raid in which Wellingtons took part. 300 (Polish) and 432 (Canadian) Squadrons provided the 26 Wellingtons which operated on this night; they all returned safely. The German controller guessed correctly that Hannover was the target and many night fighters arrived before the attack was over. 27 aircraft- 14 Lancasters and 13 Halifaxes - were lost, 5·4 per cent of the force.

Conditions over Hannover were clear and the Pathfinders were finally able to mark the centre of the city accurately; a most concentrated attack followed with a creepback of only 2 miles, all within the built-up area. This was probably Hannover's worst attack of the war. The local report describes extensive damage in the centre of. the city and in many other parts except the west. The telephone system and electricity supply failed at the beginning of the raid and many water mains were quickly broken. A large area of fire quickly developed in the centre and south-central districts. Acting upon instructions from the Party Headquarters and from district air-raid posts, the population were shepherded to collecting places in open areas between the fires. This action is believed to have saved many lives but 1,200 people were killed and 3,345 were injured, 449 seriously so. A further 6,000-8,000 people received eye injuries because of smoke and heat. 3,932 buildings were completely destroyed and more than 30,000 were damaged in varying degree, but no individual buildings are named. R.A.F. reconnaissance, however, showed that the important Continental rubber factory and the Hanomag machine works were badly hit.

source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt

Halifax aircraft DK 265 failed to return from a trip over Hanover, Germany. Sergeants W.H.Hamil, H.E. Evans, T.A. Ashcroft (RAF), G. Beeken (RAF), R Mather (RAF), F.W. Stubbings (RAF), and Flying Officer S.H. Walker (RAF) were killed.

There were two 431 Sqdn. aircraft lost on this date. Please see Sergeant F. Rudd for information regarding the other aircraft and crew.

Bombing 1943-08-23 to 1943-08-24

428 (B) Sqn (RCAF) RAF Middleton St George

428 Ghost Squadron, (Usque ad Finem) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BV aircraft DK 267 NA-H was most likely attacked by a night fighter over Berlin, killing one crew member. Four other crew bail safely from the Halifax and were captured. The Pilot was badly injured but continued to fly his aircraft in the company of his Bomb Aimer, heading north until the Halifax was abandoned near Annelov, Sweden, where the last two crew survived and became Interned Prisoners in Sweden

The Wireless Operator/Air Gunner C E Crampton (RAFVR) was killed action in the fighter attack on the bomber

Warrant Officer 1st Class L S Bates (RCAF), Warrant Officer 1st Class W S Kerr (RCAF), Warrant Officer 2nd Class G W Patterson (RCAF) and Sergeant J Taylor (RAFVR) all safely bailed while still over Germany and all survived to become Prisoners of War

Flight Sergeant H A Read (RCAF) badly wounded and Flying Officer J J McQuade (RCAF) abandoned their damaged aircraft safely over Sweden and became Interned Prisoners

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RAF Forced Landing - Halifax Mk IV - Serial # DK267

Ferry Flight Hanover Germany 1943-09-27 to 1943-09-28

428 (B) Sqn (RCAF) Middleton St George

Aircraft had been badly damaged by enemy fire over the target, resulting in the loss of the port outer engine. The pilot was able top nurse the aircraft back to England and was diverted to attempt a landing at the US Air Station, Framlington. On approach to landing, the port inner engine also failed , causing the Halifax to flip, strike some trees and crash

Quote from Steve Wilson, son of pilot Sergeant R Wilson, with his father's account of the night his plane crashed.

The aircraft was hit by accurate flak over the target after being caught in searchlights. As a consequence of this, the port outer engine was badly damaged and ceased to function. The bombs were jettisoned over the target and and the pilot turned the aircraft back for home at Middleton St George.

Whilst crossing the coast (Dutch coast I believe) theHalifax was again hit by flak from a German flak ship which damaged the inner port engine, but did not put it out of action. On regaining the English coast, the crew realised that they were now in serious trouble and the pilot was having problems keeping the aircraft airborne due not only to engine problems but also to damaged flight surfaces.

They broadcast the emergency call sign (blackie blackie for that night) and the US air base at Framlingham responded as the nearest airfield. The pilot headed for this base and all were gratified to seethe landing lights ablaze for them. They began a very difficult descent to the runway, but as fate would have it, the damaged port inner engine chose this moment to stop altogether.

The effect of this was to cause the aircraft to flip over onto its port side, the wing caught the tree tops and the plane crashed into the ground before ever reaching the runway.

There were three survivors - the pilot, the mid upper gunner and the tail gunner. The pilot was badly injured having a smashed pelvis, and other serious injuries and indeed when they found him one of his eyes was hanging down on his cheek.The rear gunner was also very badly injured but I do not know the extent of these.The mid upper gunner escaped without a scratch and went for help, but could not get out of the the heavily ploughed and muddy field that they were in due to barbed wire security fences that surrounded the field. It was nearly an hour before American forces got to them.

The official story simply states that the aircraft over shot the landing on return - this is not the case, they never even got to the runway, and the crash was was caused by battle damage.