Wellington HE350 damaged by FLAK, returned to East Moor airfield.

On 29th June 1943 this aircraft was on Ops to Cologne when it suffered minor flak damage over Germany, the pilot was able to return safely to East Moor where it was inspected and Cat.A/FB damage was recorded. It was soon repaired.

Pilot - Sgt F H Turcotte RCAF,

Navigator - Sgt L E Ford RCAF

Air Bomber - Sgt J S Stokes RCAF

WOp/AG - Sgt M F Tupper RCAF

Rear Gunner - Sgt L S Lafoy RCAF

Sgt Turcotte was the pilot of a 425 Squadron Wellington that overshot on landing on 4/5th April 1943 from Ops damaging the propellers and the nose of the aircraft probably at Dishforth airfield. 425 Squadron were posted to The Med in May 1943 and it seems likely that some of their aircrew were not posted overseas. All of those named above were also on the books of 426 Squadron, and all arrived with 429 Squadron, probably as a complete crew, on 26th June 1943. Their stay at East Moor was only brief, they were posted out to Linton on Ouse with the Squadron on 22nd July 1943. P/O M F Tupper then returned to 429 Squadron on 17th June 1944 from 432 Squadron.
Sgt Ford may well have been Lawrence Eagleton Ford RCAF, later commissioned in 1944 (J/85684). He was born in 1916 and was living in Kelvington, Saskatchewan when he enlisted in Saskatoon in November 1941. He was recommended for the DFC on 1st August 1944 when he had flown thirty three operational flights (188 hours flying), with 425 Squadron at the time, the recommendation reads.. "Pilot Officer Ford has recently completed a tour of operations which includes offensive sorties against such major targets as Frankfurt, Augsburg, Leipzig, Dusseldorf and Karlsruhe. He has distinguished himself in all of these operations by his outstanding skill and a navigator and his cool courage in the face of danger. By his undaunted determination and outstanding devotion to duty, this officer has always directed his aircraft to the target and brought it back safely to base. He has set a fine example and inspired confidence to other members of his crew." The DFC was granted and it appeared in the London Gazette on 17th November 1944.
Wellington HE350 was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's at Chester and delivered to MU storage in December 1942 and issued to 429 Squadron at East Moor in mid June 1943. It suffered its flak damage (sustaining Cat.A/FB damage) on 29th June 1943 and was repaired on site with the repairs being completed by 3rd July 1943. It then suffered a Cat.B/FB mishap on 26th July 1943 (detailed on this website) but this time was sent away and repaired in works. On completion of these repairs it was issued to 1485 Target Towing Flight at Skellingthorpe in September 1943. It was later lost with Cat.E2/FA recorded on 20th September 1943 when both engines cut on take off and it crashed two miles north-east of Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire.