Wellington R1662 near Rossington, Finningley.
On 27th June 1941 the crew on this 23 O.T.U. aircraft were undertaking a cross country training exercise when the Wellington suffered engine failure in the Finningley area. The pilot may have been trying to get to Finningley or Bawtry airfield or was attempting a planned force landing in a field when the aircraft hit a tree with a wingtip as he let down and, at 12.15hrs, it crashed near Rossington. The wreckage caught fire on hitting the ground which later destroyed the aircraft. The occupant of the rear turret became trapped by his leg in the turret. The precise location is not yet known although "verge of Great North Road, three miles North of Bawtry" (A638 road) is listed is the service file of the one member of the crew who died the following day in Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Wellington R1662 was built to contract 992424/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Chester (Broughton factory) and was awaiting collection in March 1941. It was allotted to 45 M.U. on 11th March 1941 and was received by them on 26th March 1941. It was taken on charge by the newly formed 23 O.T.U. at Pershore on 26h April 1941. As a result of the flying accident near Finningley on 27th June 1941 Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded following assessment. It was struck off charge on 3rd July 1941 and had clocked up 114 hours total flying time.
Instructor Pilot - F/Lt Beverley Ridley Ker RAF (70363).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (in rear turret) - Sgt Howard John Kellough RCAF (R/62251), aged 22, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Died 28th June 1941. Buried Rose Hill Cemetery, Doncaster, Yorkshire.
Observer - P/O Joseph William McCarthy RCAF (J/4528). Injured.
Observer - Sgt Reginald Alfred Minchin RAF (566967).
? - Sgt John Henry Charles Wakefield RNZAF (NZ.40929).
Pilot - Sgt Richard George Hill RAFVR (1006747).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Edward Stayte RAFVR (917200).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Robert Charles Baumber RAFVR (1251280).
Howard Kellough was born on 30th January 1919 in Sutherland, Saskatchewan, Canada and was a son of John Ernest and Sadie (nee Scarfe) Kellough. The family moved to Saskatoon in the mid-1930s. He was unemployed when he enlisted into the RCAF in Saskatoon on 17th July 1940. After training in Canada he was awarded his Air Gunner's badge on 15th March 1941. On arrival in the UK, in mid-April 1941 he was posted to 23 OTU at Pershore. The Kellough Island in Saskatchewan is named in his honour. His two eldest brothers Clarence and Ernest (who were twins) served in the RCAF and Navy respectively and his other older brother Cecil also served in the RCAF.
Beverley Ker was granted a commission into the RAF as P/O on probation on 27th March 1934 and eventually rose to F/Lt on 16th March 1941. An entry in Flight Magazine (dated 9th January 1941) suggests that he was injured in a flying accident in or around December 1940 when he was Acting F/Lt. In his Bomber Command OTU losses book Mr William Chorley states that F/Lt Beverley Ker arrived at 23 OTU on 8th May 1941. He was made temporary S/Ldr on 1st June 1942 and 1st January 1943 to S/Ldr and later to W/Co. He survived the War but resigned his commission on 21st April 1947 retaining the rank of W/Co.
Joseph McCarthy, Robert Baumber, William Stayte and Richard Hill were posted to 12 Squadron in July 1941. On 7th / 8th September 1941 they were flying in Wellington W5598 on Ops to Berlin when it failed to return to base. Baumber, Hill, Stayte were and are buried in Reichswald War Cemetery. P/O McCarthy became a PoW.
P/O Reginald Minchin was killed on 2nd June 1942 while flying the Thousand Bomber raid on Essen with 23 OTU in Wellington Z8867. He is buried in Jonkerbos Cemetery and was twenty four years old.
Sgt Wakefield later served with 75 Squadron and 38 Squadron.