On the night of 2nd / 3rd July 1942 the crew of this 460 Squadron aircraft were tasked with Ops to Bremen and left their base of Breighton airfield at 23.39hrs. The aircraft was hit by flak over the target area and minor damage underneath the rudder was sustained. The crew made a safe return to land at Breighton at 04.59hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Raymond Arthur Brittingham RAAF (403160), of Leura, New South Wales, Australia.
Navigator - Sgt William Mervyn James Matchett RAAF (403396), of Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Robert James Rogers RAFVR (1183329), of Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Norman Henry Simpson RAAF (401053), of St.Arnaud, Victoria, Australia.
Rear Gunner - Sgt Russell Archie Johns RAAF (402710), of Roseville, New South Wales, Australia.
Wellington Z1343 was built to contract B.97887/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden, Chester and was awaiting collection in October 1941. It was received by 51 MU on 5th November 1941 and was taken on charge by 460 Squadron at Molesworth on 11th December 1941 not long after the unit formed. 460 Squadron moved to Breighton on 4th January 1942. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that on 17th April 1942 the aircraft sustained minor Cat.Ac/FB damage. The 460 Squadron records do not mention any incident involving this aircraft so nothing more is currently known about it. It was repaired on site and was returned to 460 Squadron on 6th June 1942. As a result of battle damage sustained on 3rd July 1942 minor Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. On the night of 29th / 30th July 1942 the aircraft was badly damaged on Ops to Saarbrucken and one member of the crew was killed. The pilot landed at Manston on their return to England. Cat.B/FB damage was the damage assessment that then saw it transported to the Vickers factory at Weybridge for a repair in works. The repair was complete in October 1942 and after a short spell with 18 MU it was taken on charge by 300 Squadron at Ingham on 21st October 1942. It failed to return from Ops on 9th November 1942 and Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork.
On the night of 29th / 30th July 1942 the crew listed above were flying Ops to Saarbrucken in Wellington Z1343. The aircraft was attacked by a night-fighters and Sgt Johns received fatal injuries even though the aircraft was landed at Manston, Kent but he could not be saved. The twenty one year old was buried in Aylesham Cemetery, Kent. Russell Johns was born on 21st April 1921 in Sydney and enlisted there on 12th October 1940. On the night of 27th / 28th January 1943 P/O Brittingham, P/O Matchett, F/Sgt Rogers and Sgt Simpson were flying in Lancaster W4817 on Ops to Dusseldorf. All were killed and initially buried in Monchengladbach but are now buried in Rheinburg War Cemetery.
Raymond Brittingham was twenty eight years old. He was born on 16th April 1914 in Gunnedah, New South Wales and enlisted in Sydney.
Norman Simpson was twenty one years old. He was born on 10th September 1921 in Essendon, Victoria and enlisted in Melbourne.
William Matchett was twenty eight years old. He was born on 4th August 1914 in Grenfell, New South Wales and enlisted in Sydney.
Robert Rogers enlisted into the RAFVR in July 1940 and was posted to, after initial training, to 27 OTU in November 1941. He was twenty two years old.