On his return to England Flight Sergeant Cooke's bravery and skill was recognised by the recommendation that he be awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (Flying). This award is very rare and, since its institution in November 1942, only 110 have been awarded. This award is restricted solely to non-commissioned officers and is second in status to the Victoria Cross for operational flying against the enemy for NCO's.

Flight Sergeant Cooke and his crew, minus Air Bomber Flight Sergeant Mann, resumed operations on the night of the 18/19th November 1944 taking part in a raid on Wanne-Eikel. They completed two more operations on the nights of the 21/22nd November and 27/28th November to Aschaffenburg and Freiburg respectively.

On the 29th November Flight Sergeant Cooke and his crew flew on a daylight raid to Dortmund in Lancaster PD465. Whilst approaching the target in heavy congestion at the Cologne turning point they were involved in a collision with another Lancaster, PD313, of 550 Squadron flown by F/O Simmons and crew. The starboard rudder of Flight Sergeant Cooke's aircraft sustained serious damage and he gave the order to the crew to bale out. F/O G T Mortimore, who was the replacement Air Bomber, managed to attach his parachute with difficulty and opened the nose escape hatch and fell out. His arm was broken during the escape but pulled the ripcord with his left hand and the parachute opened and he came down in the top branches of some tall trees. Some German soldiers nearby climbed up to release him and he was taken to a hospital in Cologne where his broken arm was treated. F/O Mortimore also sustained shrapnel wounds to his face and leg and was later to find out the Lancaster blew up immediately after he had baled out. He was spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of the Germans.

The other Lancaster involved in the collision managed to return to England on its two port engines alone. After a difficult flight the pilot, F/O Summons, made an emergency landing at Manston.

Sadly for Flight Sergeant Cooke and the other crew members there was to be no escape and they rest together at the Reichswald War Cemetery. Flight Sergeant Cooke never received his Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, which was confirmed on the 2nd January 1945.

Local people pictured next to the impressive nose art on Lancaster LL964. The inscription reads " La Belle Dame Sans Merci " which was applied whilst the aircraft was on the strength of 460 Squadron before it's transfer to 103 Squadron. The Lancaster appears to have flown over 50 operations. It does not appear that it was ever repaired and returned to service.

Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Alfred E Mann, George T Mortimore, Eric Dessouroux and the late Albert Delvaux for the information and photographs that they have supplied in relation to this item.

Other information was obtained from the books In Action With The Enemy by Alan W Cooper and also Bomber Command Losses 1944 by Bill Chorley.

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