Guy Iovine Photograph 23

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British Halifax, almost certainly of 462 SQN RAAF  Info from Bob Livingstone, B-24 Best Web research team member.  Thanks Bob!

Handley Page Halifax B Mk II Serial BB358 462 Squadron RAAF. 

August 9th, 1943. Off the beach by Berka II, Benghazi.

The following information came from Paul McGuiness RAAF Archive.

08 August 1943 - 18th operational Mission.

Sergeant J.D. Evans and crew departed Hosc Raui at 1936hrs with five other Halifax bombers to attack railway yards at San Giovanni, Italy. The aircraft bombed the target without incident and set course for home. Approaching the Libyan coast the crew could not fix their position and tried in vain over the next two hours to locate any Landing Ground where they could put down. Finally, after more than nine hours in the air the Captain decided to ditch close to the shoreline near a beach. At 0436hrs the port inner engine failed due to a lack of fuel followed soon thereafter by the port outer and starboard inner. The pilot quickly managed a single-engine ditching close to the shore and all six crewmen escaped without injury and swam ashore. As it happens, the bedraggled airmen discovered they had ditched very close to Berka II L.G., where they then spent a few hours before returning to Hosc Raui.

RAFVR Pilot 590903 Sergeant J.D. Evans
RAFVR Observer Sergeant J.C. Ashton
RAFVR Wireless Air Gunner Sergeant E.L. Langfold
RAFVR Air Gunner Sergeant R.J. Ellis (Rear Gunner)
RAFVR Flight Engineer Sergeant E.A. Stevens
RAFVR Bomb Aimer Sergeant A.T. Wall

August 10, 1943 - Aircraft struck off charge. While serving with 462 Squadron the aircraft flew 18 operational missions and flew at least 22 non-operational flights.

This same accident can be seen in the above Ivan Dmitri photo.  Click on the photo to see the original.

The above information was provided by Peter Maxfield.  His father was in the RAF and was attached to the 98th and 376th in early 1943 as they arrived around Benghazi.