On the night of 12th / 13th August 1941 the crew of this 405 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Berlin and left base at 21.34hrs.
Outbound the aircraft suffered engine trouble so the crew opted to drop their bombs over Bremen at 23.48hrs from 13,000 feet and made for home. Whilst
over Groningen, Netherlands the aircraft was hit by one single heavy flak burst which injured both the second pilot and the rear gunner. The aircraft
also sustained damage to both turrets, the hydraulic system, the undercarriage and the intercom was knocked out of action. The pilot was able to make
a safe landing at Pocklington at 03.31hrs.
Pilot - Sgt George Milburn Bigglestone RAFVR (754732), of South Gosforth, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Second Pilot - Sgt George Joseph Masse RCAF (R/56128), of Central Falls, Rhode Island, USA. Injured by enemy action.
Rear Gunner - Sgt William Richardson A Pullen RCAF (R/56635), of Winnipeg, Maintoba, Canada. Injured by enemy action.
Navigator - P/O William Kenneth Mackey RCAF (J/4714), wife of North Augusta, Ontario, Canada.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Alexander Donaldson Bain RAF (546702).
Wireless Operator - Sgt James John Hughes RAFVR (964479).
Wellington W5516 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in April 1941. On 27th April 1941 it wa flown to 22 M.U. at Silloth and was taken on charge by 405 Squadron on 9th July 1941 at Pocklington. It was slightly damaged on 30th July 1941 at Pocklington when it struck a contractor's tractor, Cat.M/FA damage resulted and it was repaired on site. This incident does not feature on the aircraft's AM Form 78 so was probably very minor in nature. As a result of battle damage sustained on Ops to Berlin on 13th August 1941 minor Cat.A/FB resulted after assessment by 43 Group D.A. the following day. A repair on site was made but the repair doesn't appear complete until 20th December 1941 when it was returned to 405 Squadron use. It was lost on 27th February 1942 when it failed to return from Ops to Kiel with the loss of it's then crew of six. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge the following day.
George Masse was born on 13th May 1918 to Edward and Emma Masse, of Central Falls, Rhode Island, U.S.A. He recovered from the injuries sustained in the incident detailed above. F/Sgt Masse killed on 17th January 1942 flying in 405 Squadron Wellington Z8329 which crashed into the North Sea returning early from Ops to Bremen. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial and was twenty three years old.
George Bigglestone completed his Tour with 405 Squadron and was posted to instruct at 22 OTU. On 3rd January 1942 he was the pilot of Wellington X9640 that suffered an engine failure while landing at Wellesbourne Mountford airfield and crashed. Sadly F/Sgt Bigglestone was killed and is buried at Straford on Avon Cemetery. He was twenty one years old.
Ken Mackey was born on 22nd March 1915 in Garretton, Grenville, Ontario. He was made a PoW on the night of 7th/8th September 1941 when Wellington W5521 failed to return from Ops to Berlin. He died in Ontario in December 2006.
James Hughes would later receive a commision but was killed with 405 Squadron on 28th June 1942 when Halifax W1110 failed to return from Ops to Bremen, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
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