Wellington R1412 at Snaith airfield.
On the night of 24th October 1941 this 150 Squadron aircraft was to have been flown to Le Havre. While in the process of taking off from Snaith airfield the throttle on the port engine slipped back casuing the aircraft to sweve violently and loose speed. It could not be brough under control and ran off the runway, over the boundary hedge and came to rest in an ajoining field at 18.00hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Arthur Percy Gainsford RNZAF (NZ.402863).
Second Pilot - Sgt Pugh.
Observer - P/O Galbraith.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Peebles.
Air Gunner - Sgt Turner.
Air Gunner - Sgt Patrick Clement Geary DFM RAFVR (914328).
Wellington R1412 was built to contract 992424/39 by Vickers Armstrong. It was allotted to 44 MU on 6th January 1941 and received by them on 11th January 1941. It was then taken on charge by 150 Squadron on 10th February 1941. Following the Cat.Ac/FA damage sustained on 24th October 1941 it was repaired on site and returned to 150 Squadron on 22nd November 1941. It was transferred to 21 OTU on 1st April 1942, 6 (C)OTU on 20th December 1942. Here it received repairable (probable Cat.B) damage in early March 1943 and was taken away and repaired in works. It was later issued to 105 OTU on 9th July 1943 but crashed
on 24th September 1943 at Bramcote. It may have been repaired or initially believed repairable but then re-assessed on 1st March 1944 and written off with Re-Cat.E damage.
Arthur Gainsford was born on 20th November 1913. His military career is well documented on the internet. He attained the rank of Air Commodore and received the DFC, DSO, DFC and OBE before retiring. He died on 27th May 1974.