Lot Essay
INDENTFlight Sergeant Ernest Charles Atkinson, Wireless Operator Air Gunner, No. 49 Squadron (Hampdens) was wounded in action during the attack on the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisnau, Brest, 6 July 1941; he failed to return from a bombing operation agains Huls, 28-29 December 1941, and was reported missing, presumed killed in action
Flight Lieutenant S. E. Wodehouse, Pilot, No. 77 Squadron (Halifaxes), failed to return from bombing operations against Sterkrade, 16/17 June 1944 and was reported missing, presumed killed in action
Flying Officer P. E. Pilborough completed his training and was posted to his first operational unit, No. 466 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron (Wellingtons), October 1942; commenced opertations (Wireless Operator) January 1943 which included Lorient, shot up by fighter Me110, petrol tank hit, flap u/s, wing on fire; Cologne -- shot at by enemy A/C; Hamburg -- good trip; Essen -- good trip hundreds of searchlights -- target well pranged; Kiel -- Oxygen failed when near target -- microphone iced up in Astro-Dome over target -- rear turret failed -- pipe line burst -- night fighters seen; Frankfurt -- oil pipe burst, rear turret w/s hit by flak; Stuttgart -- plenty of nightfighters; Duisberg -- covered in searchlights -- Rear Gunner's i/c u/s from Dutch Coast; Dortmund -- trouble with port engine -- turret u/s on way home ; Bochum -- search lights in co-op with night fighters; Hamburg -- heavy attack -- 'window' used (Log Book)
Flight Lieutenant S. E. Wodehouse, Pilot, No. 77 Squadron (Halifaxes), failed to return from bombing operations against Sterkrade, 16/17 June 1944 and was reported missing, presumed killed in action
Flying Officer P. E. Pilborough completed his training and was posted to his first operational unit, No. 466 (R.A.A.F.) Squadron (Wellingtons), October 1942; commenced opertations (Wireless Operator) January 1943 which included Lorient, shot up by fighter Me110, petrol tank hit, flap u/s, wing on fire; Cologne -- shot at by enemy A/C; Hamburg -- good trip; Essen -- good trip hundreds of searchlights -- target well pranged; Kiel -- Oxygen failed when near target -- microphone iced up in Astro-Dome over target -- rear turret failed -- pipe line burst -- night fighters seen; Frankfurt -- oil pipe burst, rear turret w/s hit by flak; Stuttgart -- plenty of nightfighters; Duisberg -- covered in searchlights -- Rear Gunner's i/c u/s from Dutch Coast; Dortmund -- trouble with port engine -- turret u/s on way home ; Bochum -- search lights in co-op with night fighters; Hamburg -- heavy attack -- 'window' used (Log Book)