Wellington R3203 near Halsham.
On 20th November 1940 the crew of this 99 Squadron aircraft force landed when returning from an operational flight near Jerusalem Farm, Halsham, east of Hull. The aircraft received minor damage. Nothing more is known about the flight or the reasons surrounding this. The aircraft was later repaired and the crew escaped injury. The crew appear to have gone their own ways in the months after this incident.
Pilot - F/O Peter John Valachos RAF (41225).
Second Pilot - Sgt John Waveney Kenner RAFVR (748671).
Navigator - Sgt Frederick Herbert Stanbury RAF (580834).
? - Sgt William Cockburn RAF (614847).
? - Sgt J Rochford RAF (643726)
Air Gunner - Sgt Gerald Harcourt Rawlings Polson RAFVR (967894).
Gerald Polson was awarded the DFM for service with 57 Squadron, Gazetted on 5th August 1941. The citation reads..
"One night in July 1941, this airman was the rear gunner of an aircraft which was attacked by a Junkers 88 when returning across the North Sea. Holding his fire until the attacker
was within 200 yards, Sergeant Polson fired a burst from each gun. The Junkers passed overhead and returned for another attack. The pilot had, however, manoeuvred the aircraft so
as to enable Sergeant Polson to meet this attack; he fired 40 rounds from each gun and the enemy aircraft dived into the sea in flames. Six nights previously he successfully
defended his aircraft against an attack by a Messerschmitt 110. He has at all times shown courage and efficiency." He received his commission on 30th December 1942 to the rank of
P/O on probation (emergency)(138419) rising to F/O on probation (war subs) on 30th June 1943. As Acting F/Lt he was awarded the DFC for service with 97 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th
June 1944 and the Bar to the DFC, Gazetted on 8th December 1944, the citation reads.. "Throughout his long and successful operational career, F/Lt Polson has displayed great
keenness and the utmost determination to operate against the enemy. He has destroyed two enemy aircraft, and his aircraft has been in combat on numerous occasions. Since the
award of the D.F.C. he has participated in many further sorties. On one occasion in August 1944, this officer's bomber was detailed to attack Konigsberg. While in the target
area a Focke Wulf 190 attempted an attack. In co-operation with his captain's evasive tactics, F.Lt Polson directed the fire of the mid-upper turret and his own at the enemy
fighter, which caught fire, dived down out of control and was probably destroyed. His outstanding courage, devotion to duty and consistently high standard of gunnery throughout
all his operations merit high praise. He was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 30th December 1944 and left the RAF on 14th March 1947.
John Kenner held a M.Sc. in Engineering. He was later posted to 37 Squadron, on 29th May 1941 he was killed piloting Wellington W5685 collided with another aircraft whilst
preparing to take off. He is buried at Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt. He was twenty five. His brother P/O Peter Lewis Kenner RAFVR was also killed on active service
while flying with 264 Squadron in August 1940.
Having received a posting to 15 Squadron F/Sgt Cockburn failed to return from Ops on 23rd July 1941 flying in Stirling N6038 to attack The Scharnhorst, N6038 was probably
shot down by an enemy aircraft and crashed into the sea. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Frederick Stanbury received his commission on 1st April 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(54874). By 18th September 1944 he was serving with 627 Squadron,
on that date he was flying Ops to Bremerhaven in Mosquito DZ635 and the aircraft crashed in the target area. He and his pilot were killed and are buried in Becklingen War
Cemetery, he was twenty seven years old.
F/Sgt Rochford was commended for valuable service in the air on 2nd June 1943, nothing more is known about his War.
Peter Valachos was born in 1915 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada and prior to joining the RAF in 1938 he served in the Dufferin Rifles in Canada. He arrived at 99 Squadron on 11th July 1940 and as a Flying
Officer was later awarded the DFC for service with 99 Squadron on 11th February 1941. He had already transferred to 214 Squadron on 12th December 1940 however and flew out to
the Middle East. On 31st May 1941 he was shot down and taken PoW. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1942. As a PoW he relinquished his RAF Commission on 24th
November 1944 on appointment to the RCAF. After repatriation he returned to Canada and joined the Royal Canadian Artillery from 1953-1959. Hugh Halliday's RCAF awarded research
has been used for this part of the account.
Wellington R3203 was built to contract B.3913/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and started life on the production line as a Mk.Ia, it was however completed
as a MkIc and was awaiting collection on 5th May 1940. The following day it was allotted to 23 MU and was received by them on 13th May 1940. It was taken on charge by 99 Sqadron on 31st May 1940 at Newmarket. On 20th November 1940 it sustained Cat.R(b) damage in the incident near Hull as recorded above. Later that month it was dismantled and removed by road for repair to V.A. Ltd. at Weybridge with it arriving on 4th December 1940. On completion of the repair it was flown to 8 MU on 13th March 1941. It then joined the O.A.D.F. at Kemble in April 1941. On 2nd May 1941 Cat.W/FA damage was recorded while on it's delivery flight to the Mediterranean region when the aircraft
overshot it's landing at Gibraltar following a flapless landing and crashed into the sea but the crew survived.