F/O Cameron recounted to his son the events resulting in the damage to LM273 shown in the photograph.

'O' has a contact on the return leg of the operation against Saarbrucken on 5 Oct 1944. A German figher picked them up over the North Sea and 
caught them by surprise on it's first pass against the aircraft.

The initial attack caused serious damage to some of the tail units and other control surfaces. Although Les Cameron as hit in the thigh by a 
fragment of 20mm cannon shell, the air-gunners Popple (mid-upper) and Piertney (rear gunner) survived the attack.

They defended LM273 from another two passes from the fighter eventually forcing it off and out of the contact. Frank Popple was confident he had 
got a telling burst onto it.

However their problems were far from over. The aircraft had been left with a problematic yaw and was failing to hold altitude. They prepared for
a ditch. But fortune smiled on kindly on them and the aircraft maintained enough height to allow them to get down at Hardwick. 

Their 16th operation was over.