Wellington DV473 near Rawcliffe Bridge, Goole.
On 28th April 1942 the crew of this 25 Operational Training Unit aircraft were undertaking a cross-country training flight when a propeller broke off following an engine fire. The order to bale out was given when the pilot was unable to maintain height on the one good engine but one of the crew failed to do comply with these orders in time. The aircraft crashed into farm buildings near Rawcliffe Bridge, Goole at 23.20hrs, sadly killing him. The crash record card stated the fatality was the rear gunner however the CWGC database disagrees with this and has him down as a wireless operator / air gunner (but who could have been occupying the rear turret at the time).
Wellington DV473 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden, Chester and was awaiting collection on 27th November 1941. On 3rd December 1941 it was received by 45 MU and was taken on charge as new by 25 O.T.U. at Finningley on 19th December 1941. As a result of the crash near Rawcliffe on 28th April 1942 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment. It was written off and was struck off charge on 28th April 1942.
Pilot - (Acting) F/Lt Raymund Joseph Hannan DFC RAF (43035).
Pilot - Sgt Alexander Winton Robertson RAFVR (657056). Injured.
Observer - Sgt Jack Passmore Warren RAFVR (1060037). Injured.
Observer - Sgt Roland John Atkin RAFVR (1245322). Injured.
? - F/Sgt Raymond Edward Moore DFM RAFVR (552503).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Fred Dyson RAFVR (1283751).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Alan Winthrop RAFVR (1112888), aged 20, of Gateshead. Buried Gateshead Saltwell Cemetery, Newcastle.
Raymund Hannan was from Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand. He was granted a short service commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on 23rd May 1940 and made P/O on probation on 13th July 1940 and being confirmed in the rank of P/O on 11th September 1940. He rose to F/O on 13th July 1941. Although the rank of F/Lt is referred to in the incident above it seems likely that this was an Acting F/Lt rank as no promotion in the London Gazette for this has been found. As F/O he was awarded the DFC for service with 49 Squadron in November 1941 flying Hampdens. (Acting?) F/Lt Hannan RNZAF was killed on the 25th November 1942 whilst serving with 207 Squadron piloting Lancaster R5604 which crashed near Grantham. He was buried at Bottesford Churchyard, Leicestershire and was twenty five years old. At the time of the incident detailed above near Rawcliffe he was an experienced pilot flying other aircraft types however his Wellington experience was limited; he had only two hours night flying on the Wellington.
Aviation historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast located small parts on the surface at the crash site in September 1999 to
confirm the crash location after assistance and permission from the land owner. The photograph above shows a tiny plate that would have been attached to the aircraft's Sperry Gyroscope.
Sgt Alexander Robertson was killed three days prior to Hannan, he was serving with 115 Squadron and in Wellington BK206 which crashed in France. He was twenty six years old.
F/Sgt Jack Warren later completed his training and was posted to 9 Squadron. He was killed on 21st December 1942 when his aircraft, Lancaster W4185, crashed in Germany. He was twenty five years old. William Chorley's entry in his Bomber Command Losses book for this crash and crew makes mention to the six who died in this crash are six of only ten Bomber Command Airmen who still rest in German churchyards. All other Bomber Command airmen have all been re-buried in war cemeteries across Germany.
Sgt Fred Dyson was killed serving with 57 Squadron on 9th November 1942 on board Lancaster W4307 which is believed to have been lost over Germany.
Raymond Moore was later posted to 83 Squadron. His DFM was awarded for service with 50 Squadron on 21st November 1941. He was commissioned on 31st January 1943 but was sadly lost on 13th June 1943 in Lancaster ED603 on 13th June 1943. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
