Wellington W5478 at Lindholme airfield.
During the afternoon of 15th August 1941 this 305 Squadron aircraft crashed on landing at Lindholme owing to the air speed indicator being faulty. The aircraft landed too fast in misty conditions. The rear gunner was slightly injured on his head.
Pilot - F/Lt Karol Zaucha PAF (P.0051).
Pilot - Sgt Tadeusz Ginter PAF (P.783430).
Navigator - F/O Kazimierz Nowak PAF (P.0095).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Kita PAF (P.780875).
Wireless Operator - Sgt J Gomula PAF (P.782215).
Air Gunner - Sgt Jozef Borowiak PAF (P.793935). Injured.
Wellington W5478 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong’s Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in March 1941. It was initially received by 23 MU on 30th March 1941 and placed in MU store. It was taken on charge by 305 Squadron at Lindholme when the unit converted from Wellington MkIc’s to Mk.II’s on 24th July 1941. As a result of the damage sustained on 15th August 1941 repairable Cat.B damage was the damage assessment which required a repair in the Vickers works factory at Brooksland. The repair took some months and it came out of the factory in May 1942. It first passed through 44 MU and 22 MU before being received by the OADU on 3rd August 1942. Five days later it was transferred to 1443 (Ferry Training) Fight at Harwell before moving to 1 O.A.D.U. at Portreath on 26th August 1942 in preparation for a move overseas. The aircraft was flown to North Africa and next appears on charge with 104 Squadron at Kabrit, Egypt in September 1942. It was destroyed on 30th October 1942 following a collision in mid air with Albacore T9136 during a night attack near El Alamein. It's six crew were killed and the aircraft was written off. It was struck off charge on 15th November 1942.