Wellington W5453 damaged by flak, returned to Driffield airfield.
On the night of 2nd / 3rd August 1941 104 Squadron supplied Wellingtons and crews for an operational attack on Berlin. This aircraft took off from base of Driffield at 21.56hrs and the crew released their bomb load from between 15,000 feet and 11,000 feet in a glide but was slightly damaged in the fuselage by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was landed safely at Driffield at 05.24hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Matthews.
Second Pilot - P/O Ransom Harold Sutton RCAF (J/3722).
Observer - Sgt Dennis Edward Caudrey RAFVR (923206).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Walter Covey RAFVR (751961).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Ivor Howard Arthur Henderson RAFVR (918442).
Air Gunner - Sgt Sanderson RAFVR (1013278).
Wellington W5453 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong’s Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in February 1941. It was received by 33 MU on 23rd March 1941 and was initially placed in MU storage until being taken on charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 17th July 1941. It sustained minor Cat.A/FB damage on 3rd August 1941 as a result of flak damage and was repaired on site at Driffield. As a result of a forced landing at Boynton on 13th August 1941 Cat.B/FB damage was the damage assessment but this took some weeks as it must have been dismantled on site and then taken to a repair factory for a repair in works, recorded as arriving at the Vickers repair factory at Brooklands on 9th September 1941. On 24th February 1942 it was taken on charge by 305 Squadron at Lindholme. 305 Squadron moved to Hemswell on 23rd July 1942 and in the days that followed they began ceasing to operate the type of aircraft so it was placed in MU storage at 33 MU. The aircraft next appears on charge with 1443 (Ferry Training) Flight at Harwell. In early 1943 it was transferred to No.1 OADU at Portreath for preparation for overseas flight. It next appears on charge with the OADU on 6th September 1942, passing to 1446 Flight on 9th October 1942 and then to No.1 OADU on 20th November 1942. On 27th November 1942 it was flown to the Middle East / North Africa theatre. Dates it arrived at later units are not known but it served with 104 Squadron in North Africa and later served with 293 Squadron at Pomigliano in early 1944. It was struck off charge on 27th April 1944.
On 7th December 1941 Sgt William Covey was killed flying 104 Squadron Wellington Z8426 on Ops to Dunkirk. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
On 16th August 1941 Sgt Ivor Henderson was killed flying 104 Squadron Wellington W5532 crashed near Retford on return from Ops to Cologne. He is buried in Chickerell Churchyard, Dorset.
Dennis Caudrey received a commission on 19th November 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation. He was later killed flying with 630 Squadron on 23rd November 1943 when Lancaster JB135 failed to return from Berlin and he is also commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Ransom Sutton was awarded the DFC for service with 104 Squadron, Gazetted on 2nd September 1941. He was later posted to 139 Squadron and was killed on 28th May 1943 flying Mosquito DZ381 and is also buried in Hanover War Cemetery.