Wellington HF514 at East Moor airfield, damaged by flak and returned to base.

On 3rd August 1943 this aircraft was flying as part of the last 429 Squadron operational flight out of East Moor before their move with the target being Hamburg. Wellington HF514 was hit by flak and it suffered damage to the fuselage and tail plane. The pilot was able to bring the aircraft home safely to East Moor but it was declared Cat.B/FB following inspection. It had completed sixteen operational flights with 429 Squadron.

Pilot - Sgt Fayette W B G Hingston RCAF (J/18885), of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

Probable crew:

Navigator - F/O Howard MacN Brown RCAF (J/13077), of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt John C Lochhead RAFVR (1361506), of Paisey, Renfrewshire.

WOp/AG - Sgt John R Williams RAFVR (1029717), of Llanllyfni, Caernarvonshire.

Rear Gunner - Sgt J Vilim RCAF.

Fayette Hingston was born on 6th May 1918 in Montreal, he attended an Arts course at the McGill University and after graduating worked for the Aluminium Company of Canada before he enlisted into the RCAF in September 1941. he received his commission in November 1943.

P/O Hingston was killed in action on 4th December 1943 flying Halifax JD361 of 429 Squadron when it was shot down on Ops to Leipzig. It crashed at Wittenmoor, near Stendal. He was twenty five years old and is buried in Berlin War Cemetery. Sgt Williams and F/Sgt Lochhead were with him on this night and their bodies were never recovered. Their names are inscribed on the Runnymede Memorial. F/O Brown became a PoW.

The then F/Sgt Vilim was posted out to 1679 HCU on 30th November 1943 having arrived at 429 Squadron from 23 OTU on 27th May 1943.
Wellington HF514 was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's at Chester and delivered for MU acceptance in mid-May 1943. It was immediately issued to 429 Squadron at East Moor where this Cat.B/FB damage was recorded on 3rd August 1943. From here it was taken away and repaired in works and on completion of the repairs it was issued to 82 OTU at Ossington in September 1943. The aircraft then went into MU storage before being issued to BCIS at Finningley in December 1944. It was written off with Cat.E2/FA damage on 21st March 1945 when an engine cut and the aircraft made a forced landing at Worksop airfield.