Wellington X9612 between Rossington and Edlington.
On 7th December 1941 the crew of this 25 Operational Training Unit aircraft were undertaking a night training exercise when the aircraft suffered the port engine failing at around 18.00hrs. The hydraulics were powered from this engine and having being unable to lower the undercarriage the crew of two abandoned the aircraft at 1,000 feet. The aircraft is believed to have crashed (possibly into a wooded area) between the villages of Rossington and Edlington and near to the A1 Great North Road.
Wellington X9612 was built to contract B.97887/39 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Chester (Hawarden) and was awaiting collection in May 1941. After being received by 23 MU on 17th May 1941 and a period of storage it was taken on charge by 25 O.T.U. at Finningley later on 4th June 1941. As a result of this incident near Rossington on 7th December 1941 Cat.E2/FA Burnt was the assessment and it was written off. It was struck off charge on 12th December 1941 when the paperwork caught up.
Pilot - F/Sgt Peter Sleight DFM RAFVR (742486).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Henry Kitto RAFVR (619406), of St.Helens, Lancashire.
The incident referred to when he was wounded was on Ops on 14th / 15th September 1942 flying in Lancaster R5868, this Lancaster is one of
only a small number still in existance and R5868 is on show at the RAF Museum Hendon.
Peter Sleight flew with 61 Squadron in 1941 (having enlisted in January 1937) and was awarded the DFM for service with them
(Gazetted on 24th October 1941). Having completed a Tour it was probable that he was posted to instruct for a time. Peter Sleight received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)(114942) on 12th December 1941 and rose to F/O (war subs) on 1st October 1942, through F/Lt to S/Ldr on 12th December 1943. He was Mentioned in Despatches twice; once on 14th January 1944 and again 1st June 1944, both times with a huge number of other airmen.
After completing his training Henry Kitto was posted to 83 Squadron and completed a Tour for which he was awarded the DFM (Gazetted on 6th November 1942),
the citation reads.. "This airman has completed many operational sorties as wireless operator, nearly all of which have been on heavily defended targets in
Germany and two particularly hazardous attacks in daylight on Danzig and Essen. F/Sgt Kitto has been in many perilous situations and in September 1942, was
very seriously wounded by machine-gun fire." WO Henry Kitto DFM RAFVR (619406) was later posted to 582 Squadron, Pathfinders. On D-Day 6th June 1944 he was
flying in Lancaster NE166 when it was shot down in the English Channel. He was twenty five years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.