At 00.40hrs on 7th August 1942 this 150 Squadron aircraft took off from Snaith airfield for an operational flight to attack Duisburg. Just after leaving the ground it lost height and crashed near Great Heck. Four of the five crew were killed and the fifth was so badly injured that he died a week later on 15th August 1942 in York Military Hospital.
Wellington X3698 was built to contract B.92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Squires Gate, Blackpool and was awaiting collection in March 1942. It was taken on charge directly from Vickers by 150 Squadron at Snaith on 8th April 1942 during the units conversion from Wellington Mk.1c's to Mk.III's. As a result of the crash near Great Heck on 7th August 1942 Cat.E2/FB Burnt damage was recorded and the aircraft was written off. It was struck off charge on 12th August 1942. Historians Eric Barton, Albert Pritchard and Ken Reast sought permission from the landowner of the general area of the crash site in September 2000 and then field walked the area locating fragments of the aircraft on the surface to confirm the location.
Pilot - F/Sgt Robert Wilson Baxter GM RAAF (400689), aged 24. Buried Selby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Navigator - F/Sgt John Herbert Hodsell RNZAF (NZ.404068), aged 22. Buried Selby Cemetery, Yorkshire. Died of injuries 15-8-1942.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Anthony Roland Tipple RAFVR (755837), aged 21. Buried Selby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Bertie Harry Cosby RAFVR (1280615), aged 20. Buried Norwich Cemetery, Norfolk.
Air Gunner - Sgt Harold Weller RAFVR (1333817), aged 21. Buried Selby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Robert Baxter was born on 5th March 1918 in Ballarat, Victoria. He was working as a bank clerk for the Bank of New South Wales when he enlisted on 13th October 1940 in Melbourne. While training in Canada at 2 SFTS he was involved in a flying accident on 26th April 1941 when Harvard 2634 ground looped and crashed on landing though he was uninjured. He was awarded his Wings on 23rd May 1941 and on arrival in the UK he trained at 22 OTU from 26th July 1941 before being posted to 150 Squadron on 18th October 1941. On the night of 5th / 6th May 1942 he was the pilot of Wellington, of those named above, Sgt Baxter and F/Sgt Tipple were in Wellington X3673 which crash landed at Blyton airfield, the aircraft caught fire and five of the crew escaped the wreckage, Sgt Baxter realised that his wireless operator (Sgt Swale) was missing so entered the burning wreckage and pulled him clear. Sgt Baxter suffered burns as a result of this rescue and was admitted to Rauceby RAF Hospital from 6th May to 11th June 1942. Notification came through that he was to be awarded the George Medal for his actions in this rescue and the citation was published in the London Gazette on 28th July 1942. The citation reads.."Sergeant Baxter was the captain of a bomber which had made a successful- raid on Germany. When nearing base the port engine, which had been hit by fire from the enemy's ground defences, caught alight. Sergeant Baxter proceeded to land the aircraft but, in the semi-darkness, he was unable to observe that the runways on the aerodrome were obstructed. The aircraft caught fire on impact with the obstruction. Five of the crew, including Sergeant Baxter, got out through the pilot's escape hatch but the wireless operator, who tried to escape through a lower hatch, became trapped. The aircraft was now burning furiously; ammunition and pyrotechnics were exploding and the petrol tanks were liable to explode at any moment. Sergeant Baxter, showing complete disregard for his own safety, re-entered the aircraft and remained inside for at least five minutes before he succeeded in releasing the wireless operator and pushing him through the pilot's escape hatch. He only managed to get clear himself just before the petrol tanks exploded. During his efforts to release his companion Sergeant Baxter sustained extensive second degree burns to his hands and face for which treatment in hospital was necessary. The unselfish heroism displayed by this airman undoubtedly saved the life of his comrade."
F/Sgt Hodsell and his grave in Selby Cemetery, Yorkshire.
The graves of two other members of this crew who were buried in Selby Cemetery.
On Ops to Cologne on 27th / 28th April 1942 Sgt Cosby and Sgt Weller were flying in Wellington X3450 when the aircraft was fortunate to land without injury to any of the crew after it suffered the effects of a severe fire after being attacked by an enemy aircraft. Their pilot Kenneth Law put the aircraft into a dive to put the fire out and with almost all of the fabric on the rear fuselage missing he was able to cross the North Sea and land in England in an account by their pilot to have been at an airfield in Lincolnshire, though the squadron records state it was at Snaith. If it was Snaith then the incident is not yet on my April 1942 listings.