Wellington R1785 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.
At 15.40hrs on 23rd September 1941 this 458 Squadron aircraft was landing at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield when it drifted to the left side of the runway owing to the wind. An improperly parked contractors vehicle was in the path of the aircraft and a collision occurred. Minor damage to the aircraft resulted. The blame lay with the contractors who, it was stated "pay very little attention to the efforts of the duty pilot to keep the runway clear". On this same day a contractors steam roller struck and damaged Wellington Z1279 at Holme on Spalding Moor.
Pilot - Sgt Herbert Reginald Garland RAAF (404456).
Sgt Garland was flying 458 Squadron Wellington Z1312 on 9th January 1942 when it flew into high tension cables in Dorset. Four of his crew were killed but he survived, despite being seriously injured.
Wellington R1785 was built to contract B.992424/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd, at Chester and was awaiting collection in May 1941. The aircraft was issued to 48 M.U. at Hawarden on 16th May 1941 and was placed into MU storage. It was taken on charge by 458 Squadron at Holme on Spalding Moor on 4th September 1941 soon after the unit began equipping with Wellington MkIV's. It's AM Form 78 stated that it received a damage assessment on 1st October 1941 with repairs being started on 11th October 1941 and it then being returned to 458 Squadron once complete. This must relate to the incident on 23rd September 1941. As a result of a further mishap at Holme on Spalding Moor on 16th November 1941 Cat.A/FA was the assessment and it was repaired on site. It was returned to 458 Squadron and continued to be used by them until 9th January 1942 when it crashed on return from an operational flight to Cherbourg when it struck HT cables near Fifehead Magdalen, Shaftsbury, Dorset. Sadly four of the six man crew on this occasion were killed. The aircraft was struck off charge on 1st February 1942 and is only recorded to have flown a small total of 23 hours total flying time when written off.