Wellington at East Moor airfield.
On the 30th of December 1942 ground crew were working on a Wellington, when at 18.00hrs a fire was spotted in the aircraft. A
portable heater
was being used in the aircraft and the oil heater was lit without removing a shield attachment, the heater overheated and a fire broke out burning off
the nose cover, damaging the upper geodetic structure of the aircraft and wiring and instrumentation in the nose. The fire was eventually put out and
four ground crew, LAC L McLachlan, AC J Ward, AC E Phillips, AC A Accomb were later officially commended by
the OC of Linton on Ouse for their quick actions in saving the aircraft.
The aircraft was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at Chester and delivered directly to 196 Sqdn at Driffield
in November 1942 but immediately transferred to 429 Sqdn at East Moor when the unit formed on 7th November 1942. It sustained damage of
Cat. B/GA on 30th December 1942 and was repaired in works. After repair was completed it was issued to 20 OTU at Lossiemouth on an
unspecified date in the spring of 1943. It later transferred to 23 OTU at Pershore and was finally destroyed with Cat.E2/FA damage being
recorded on 7th August 1943 when an engine failed on a night navigation exercise and the aircraft was crashed landed at Brunington,
Flintshire. The crew of six being sadly killed.
No crew.