Wellington W5437 damaged by flak, returned to Driffield airfield.

On the night of 8th May 1941 the crew of this 104 Squadron aircraft took off from Driffield airfield at 23.00hrs to bomb Bremen. They bombed the target area in a glide from between 16,000ft and 13,500ft but the aircraft received slight flak damage. The crew were able to make the safe return and the Wellington landed at Driffield at 04.32hrs on 9th May 1941. The damage must have only been very slight as the aircraft was used operationally the following night to Ludwigshaven.

Pilot - S/Ldr Peter Henry Cribb RAF (33360).

Second Pilot - Sgt Clarke.

Observer - Sgt Nordon.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Leonard Geoffrey Smalley RAF (632821).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Arthur Stewart Carson RAF (635295).

Air Gunner - Sgt John Dudley Armstrong RAFVR (937446).

Peter Cribb served with 58 Squadron before posting to 104 Squadron. He later served with 35 Squadron and the Bomber Development Unit before commanding 582 Squadron and the Pathfinder Wing. He was awarded the DSO and Bar, the DFC and Bar and later the CBE and rose to the rank of Air Commodore. His life is well detailed on the internet, he died in 2011.
Sgt Carson was soon posted to 10 Squadron, on the night of 27th / 28th June 1941 he was flying in Whitley P5016. The aircraft crashed in Germany and he and three other members of his then crew were killed. He is buried Hamburg Cemetery. He may also have flown with 405 Squadron prior to serving in 104 Squadron.
On the night of 24th July 1941 Sgt Armstrong and Sgt Smalley were flying together on Ops to Brest to attack German battleships in port. The rear of the aircraft was badly damaged by bullets from an enemy aircraft, the turret was also struck and Sgt Armstrong was injured. The fuselage caught fire and he was able to put this initial fire out. A second enemy aircraft attacked and further damaged the rear turret and further injured Sgt Armstrong. Between him and Sgt Smalley who came to assist they put the fire out but Sgt Armstrong passed out as a result of his injuries. Their pilot made a landing at Exeter on the return to England and Sgt Armstrong was admitted to hospital. For his actions on this night Sgt Armstrong was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 2nd September 1941. He survived the War but did not receive a commission, he may have been too seriously injured as a result of this incident on 24th July 1941 to resume flying duties.
Sgt Leonard Smalley had served with 102 Squadron in 1940 and survived the crash of Whitley N1489 at Silsden, Yorkshire on 29th August 1940. He was the only survivor of this serious accident having been pulled clear by a local Home Guard volunteer. Having recovered from his injuries sustained in 1940 he was later posted to join 104 Squadron possibly when it re-formed in April 1941. On 12th / 13th August 1941 he was flying in Wellington W5461 on Ops to Berlin when the aircraft crashed in enemy territory and all the crew became a PoW's. Searching the deaths index for England a Len Smalley lived in Cornwall and died in 1986 in Liskeard, Cornwall who may well be the same person involved.
Wellington W5437 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection on January 1941. On 2nd February 1942 it was allotted to 12 MU and was received by them on 8th March 1941. After a period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 27th April 1941 just after the squadron reformed. As a result of battle damage on 9th May 1941 and then the following night on 10th May 1941 the aircraft received very minor battle damage. There was probably so little damage to the aircraft that no record was filled out on the record card for the first. The 10th May 1941 incident did see Cat.Ac/FB damage be recorded on the AM Form 78. It was repaired on site both times by ground crew. As a result of the minor battle damage then further damage after crashing at Leeming on 30th September 1941 Cat.Ac/FB damage appears to have resulted. It received a repair on site beginning on 2nd October 1941 and was returned to 104 Squadron on 29th November 1941 only to require another repair on site on 3rd February 1942. Once repaired it was one of 104 Squadron's aircraft that were transferred to the newly formed 158 Squadron at Driffield. On 25th February 1942 it sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage in some form of flying accident though no additional information is known. It was repaired on site and returned to 158 Squadron on 21st March 1942. On 4th June 1942 158 Squadron moved to East Moor and started conversion to Halifax MkII's transferring the majority of it's Wellington MkII to 12 Squadron at Binbrook. This aircraft was one that went to 12 Squadron on 4th June 1942. On 26th July 1942 it was Cat.B/FB damaged when it suffered an engine failure en route Duisburg, the crew made an early return but crash landed on the beach on approach to North Coates. On 21st September 1942 it had been recovered but after inspection in works it was Re-Cat.E and struck off charge.

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