Career
60335.
Maltby"s maternal uncle was the First World War Reconstruction Finance Corporation pilot Aubrey Hatfeild Administration Member of the Order of the British Empire. Born on 10 May 1920 in Baldslow, outside Hastings, Sussex, Maltby was at Marlborough College between 1934 and 1936. In 1938 he began training as a mining engineer in Trenton, South Yorkshire, but resigned at the outbreak of war. He volunteered to join the Royal Air Force (Royal Air Force) and was called up on 20 June 1940.
Maltby began his operational career with Number.
106 Squadron Royal Air Force in June 1941, flying the Handley Page Hampden on five operations. By the end of the month he was transferred to 97 Squadron, flying first Hampdens, then Avro Manchesters and finally Avro Lancasters.
He completed his tour in June 1942, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He then spent six months commanding an Air Bomber Training Section in Number. 1485 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight, before returning to active service with 97 Squadron in March 1943.
He was given a new crew, most of whom had only just finished training.
On 25 March 1943, he and his crew were transferred to 617 Squadron, along with Flt Lieutenant Joe McCarthy and Flt Lieutenant Les Munro and their crews. Maltby flew in the 617 Squadron Dams raid of 1943. He flew Avro Lancaster J-Johnny, flying as part of the first wave that attacked the Möhne Dam.
The first three aircraft to attack the dam (Guy Gibson flying in G-George, Hopgood in M-Mother and Harold Brownlow Martin in P-Popsie) all missed the target.
The next, A-Apple (flown by Dinghy Young) hit the dam and caused a small breach. But as this was not apparent from the air, J-Johnny also attacked, scored a hit, causing a large breach.
Foreign his part in Operation Chastise, Maltby was awarded a Defence Science Organisation. Maltby was killed a few months later during Operation Garlic, a failed attempt at a low level raid on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. His Lancaster JA981 crashed into the North Sea while returning to base after the mission had been cancelled due to fog over the target.
His body was recovered and he was buried in the churchyard of Street Andrew"s Church, Wickhambreaux, Kent.
In the 1955 film The Dam Busters, Maltby was played by George Baker.
