American pilot F/O Dennis Brest and Crew 51

L to R

F/O Dennis Brest, P/O Michael Gnius, Sgt Harry Hill, (S/Ldr Guy Austin, crew 19), Sgt. Jack Morgan

This crew just returned from a nightmare-like trip to Mannheim on the night of November 18/19 ended happily when he skippered the Halifax of the RCAF Bomber Groups Bluenose squadron, returned safely to base.

In the above picture the pilot, whose home is at 835 Pine St., San Francisco, Calif. discussed the trip with S/LdrGuy Austin, flying control officer at the station (wearing hat). The aircraft was coned in searchlights over the target and attacked from 50 yards range by a FW190. Blinded by the lights, the mid upper, P/O Michael Gnius, opened fire a split-second after the fighter but was unable to observe results. Cannon and machine gun bullets ripped through the rear turret in which Sgt Harry Hill, the tail gunner, was seated, completely demolishing it but miraculously leaving Sgt Hill untouched. At the same time enemy flak blasted the bomber from below, knocking out one engine and rendering the starboard elevator useless. The flight engineer, Sgt. Jack Morgan, 533 East Fifth St. N., Vancouver, B.C. assisted the pilot in getting the badly battered aircraft back to base where a safe landing was made.

S/Ldr Austin resides at 2704 Montcalm Crescent, Calgary, Alberta. While P/O Gnius, formerly lived at Regina but was employed with the C.P.R. at White River, Ont. before enlisting. Sgt. Hill is an Irish lad serving in the RAF. It was the crew’s second trip.

Crew 51 - F/O D. Brest, Sgt. J. Morgan, P/O Gnius, and Sgt. Hill “FTR” from mission to Berlin on 20/21 Jan. 1944. 5 were killed. Not in picture Sgt. L.H. Doe. P/O W.M. Kipp, P/O J. Snowsell - POW's

Crew 19 - S/Ldr G. Austin and his crew "FTR" on 20/21 Dec. 1943 on a trip to Frankfurt Germany, all P.O.W.

22 Nov. 1943 – Courtesy CFJIC - PL 22318 / UK 6258