On the night of 2nd / 3rd August 1941 the 405 Squadron ORB lists a Wellington "LQ-X" as being caught by flak and then being attacked by an Me110 from 75 yards. It
states that the pilot took evasive action which was successful and the crew then went on to bomb their target in Berlin. They landed safely at 05.48hrs having
taken off at 22.15hrs. The 405 Squadron ORB is quite probably the worst ORB I have seen so understanding what exactly happened to 405 Squadron aircraft in 1941 is difficult. Around this period it does not list any of the aircraft by serial and for this specific incident it does not state the Wellington was hit by flak but it does state it was caught in flak and suggests it was slightly damaged. "LQ-X" was damaged again by flak on 13th August 1941 and it was quite probably the same aircraft.
Wellington W5390 carried the squadron code of "LQ-X" during a spell with 405 Squadron and could be the identity of the aircraft.
Pilot - Sgt Brian Douglas Farmbrough RAFVR (754062), of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Second Pilot - Sgt John Stewart Saunders RCAF (R/69811), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Navigator - Sgt Albert Mansfield Beach RCAF (R/57736), of Vancouver, Canada.
Wireless Operator - Sgt John Robert Angus RAF (652758).
? - Sgt Stanley John E Thorogood RAF (915302), of Coventry Cross, Bromley by Bow, London.
? - F/Sgt Bower RAF (967931).
Brian Farmbrough was posted to 22 OTU on 2nd October 1941 and served as an instructor. He was killed on 14th January 1942 when Wellington DV481
crashed near Wellesbourne Mountford with the loss the whole fve crew. F/Sgt Farmbrough is buried in Aylesbury Cemetery, Buckinghamshire, he was twenty two years old.
Albert Mansfield Beach was born in April 1916 in Vancouver and was a medical student when he enlisted into the RCAF on 13th April 1940. He was
later granted a commission and was posted to 104 Squadron, while serving with them he was awarded the DFC; Gazetted on 18th September 1942. The
citation refers to him having served with 405 Squadron and reads..
"As navigator and bomb aimer this officer has participated in numerous sorties against targets in Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Tripoli and Cyrenacia.
Whilst based in this country he took part in the first daylight attack on the battle cruisers at Brest. During engagements his gunners shot down an enemy
fighter. During his operations in the Middle East, Pilot Officer Beach has maintained his very high standards of navigation and bomb aiming. His coolness
in his attacks is exceptional." He survived the War and returned to his university studies but rejoined the RCAF during the Korean Airlift seeing service with 426 Squadron.
Stanley Thorogood had flown with 405 Squadron in the Summer of 1941 but towards the end of October 1941 he was one of a number of 405 Squadron airmen
selected to join the Overseas Delivery Unit and were tasked with flying a Wellington out to the Middle East. He was among the crew of Wellington X9948
which left Harwell airfield on 24th October 1941 with the final destination being the Middle East theatre, the aircraft was flown on a number of staging
flights over a period of a few days, from Harwell to Gibraltar and then to Malta. Having left Luqa airfield, Malta at 00.44hrs on 1st November 1941 the
aircraft landed safely in North Africa, he was then posted to 148 Squadron with other members of this transit crew. The RAF had no record of the Wellington
landing in North Africa so the aircraft and its crew were posted as missing. An administrative error had resulted in telegrams being sent by the RAF to
his family. Another member of the transit crew, Sgt Leo Hanley, had been flying operationally in North Africa for six weeks word got back to his father
that his son had been seen by people who knew him in Cairo in the days after 1st November 1941. Leo Hanley informed his father that he was not missing,
Hanley's father informed the RAAF and the record was changed and the other families notified of the error. He survived the war and probably died in North Yorkshire in 2001.
Sgt Saunders was the pilot of Wellington W5521 which failed to return from Ops to Berlin on 7th / 8th September 1941, he and all his then crew became PoW's.
He died in Canada on 24th July 2005.
John Angus left 405 Squadron on 21st August 1941. He was later posted to 462 Squadron and was awarded the DFM for service with them, Gazetted on 9th April 1943,
the citation reads.. "This airman, who has completed 32 sorties, is a resourceful and efficient wireless operator. Whilst serving in the United Kingdom he took
part in a number of
attacks against well defended targets, including Berlin and Hamburg; he also took part in the attack on Colognewhen a thousand of our bombers operated. In the
Middle East he has rendered excellent service. One night in February 1943, he was a member of the crew of an aircraft detailed to attack shipping in the harbour
at Palermo. During the operation, a flare with its fuse burning failed to leave the chute. Realising the possibility of an explosion which would endanger the aircraft,
Flight Sergeant Angus acted with great promptitude. Regardless of the risk entailed he placed his foot on the lid of the chute, thus minimising the effects of the
explosion. He sustained a severe injury to the foot but, although in much pain, he continued his wireless duties until, base was reached. His courage and resource
were worthy of high praise."
He later received his commission to P/O on probation on 29th January 1943 but notification was only printed in the London Gazette on 8th February 1944
(53986) rising to F/O six months later in August 1943.
Nothing is known about the other members of this crew other than Sgt Bower left 405 Squadron on 5th August 1941.
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