Wellington Z1272 damaged by attacking aircraft. Returned to Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.

On the evening of the 27th December 1941 the crew of this 458 Squadron aircraft set out at 17.30hrs and were tasked with Ops believed to have been to attack targets in Northern France. While outbound the aircraft was attacked by an unidentified aircraft and the aircraft sustained damage. A fuel tank was holed, a tyre burst and the hydraulics were damaged. The aircraft also sustained damage to its tail section. The second pilot was also wounded in the right thigh and in his right forearm while stood in the astro-hatch. The crew dropped their bombs in the sea and made for home. The aircraft landed at base at 21.42hrs and the injured airman was taken to a military hospital in York.

Pilot - P/O Kay Moore RAAF (400595), of East St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia.

Second Pilot - P/O Billy McFadden RAAF (404360). Of Gympie, Queensland, Australia. Injured in attack.

Observer - P/O Kenneth Swift Campbell RAAF (404371).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Cedric Charles Chambers RAF (1359874).

Air Gunner - Sgt Rossmore Gordon Wood RAAF (406157), of Bayswater, Victoria, Australia.

Air Gunner - Sgt Sydney Bruce Gray-Buchanan RAAF (404376).

Following this incident P/O McFadden was admited to York Military Hospital. He was later transferred to Askham Grange, near York to recover in early January 1942 and later made a full recovery to continue operational flying. He was born on 22nd April 1920 in Glen Innes, New South Wales and enlisted in Brisbane on 16th August 1940. He trained at 21 OTU and arrived at 458 Squadron on 15th September 1941. On recovering from his injuries he was posted on attachment to 460 Squadron on 3rd April 1942 and returned to 458 Squadron to ferry his aircraft to the Middle East on 11th July 1942. He was then attached to 37 Squadron but returned to 458 Squadron on 20th August 1942. Later in the year he was commissioned and then ferried an aircraft to Malta which saw him posted to 69 Squadron. He was awarded the DFM on 26th February 1943 for service with 69 Squadron, the citation reads.. "F/Sgt McFadden has taken part in many sorties over the Medierrenean Sea. He is highly eficient, while his determination to achieve success has been outstanding. One night in November 1942, he sucessfully attacked an enemy merchanct ship in the face of heavy opposing fire from its escorting destroyer. F/Sgt McFadden has played a good part in attacks on the enemy's supply line between Italy and North Africa."

After the award of the DFM he was posted back to the UK on 24th February 1943 to No.1 Torpedo Training Unit as an instructor and later to 7 (c)OTU at Limavady, North Ireland on 1st October 1943. He was seriously injured on 3rd November 1943 near Limavady flying with 7 OTU in Wellington LB247. He recovered from his injuries to some extent but leg injuries confined him to a number of desk jobs and resulted him being posting back home to Australia where he rose to the rank of Acting S/Ldr before leaving the RAAF in 1946.

The photograph shown above was found on the Australian National Archives website and is now out of copyright. Four of the above are shown below (left to right). Sgt Chambers RAF, P/O Campbell RAAF, Sgt N G Stewart RAAF, P/O Moore RAAF, F/Sgt K W Gale RAAF & Sgt Gray-Buchanan RAAF.

Kay Moore was born on 4th December 1916 in Caulfield, Victoria and enlisted in Melbourne in September 1940. He trained at 4 OTU and 12 OTU and was posted to 458 Squadron on 8th October 1941. He moved with the unit to the Middle East which later was attached to 148 Squadron. He was slight injured in an aircraft accident in June 1942 reaching the rank of Acting S/Ldr before relinquishing this and returning to the UK. He returned to the UK in February 1943 and converted to fly Lancasters with 1656 HCU, he later flew with 460 Squadron from 30th March 1943. F/Lt Moore was lost days later on 4th April 1943 when Lancaster W4310 crashed on Ops near Kiel. He is buried in Kiel War Cemetery and was 26 years old. He was awarded the DFC on 16th February 1943 for his service in the Middle East, the citation reads.. "This officer, who has served as flight commander since October 1942, has set a fine example of perseverance and determination in finding and bombing targets accurately. He has taken part in many raids on Tobruk and has pressed home his attacks at a low altitude. S/Ldr Moore has, throughout his operational career, displayed courage and resolution of a high order and has machine-gunned many enemy concentrations from an extremely low level."

Sydney Gray-Buchanan was born on 26th July 1916 in Rockhampton, Queensland and enlisted in Brisbane. He was posted in to 458 Squadron on 12th October 1941 from 12 Squadron and was later awarded the DFM for service with 148 Squadron (Gazetted in March 1943 and presented at Buckingham Palace on 20th July 1943), the citation reads.. "F/Sgt Gray-Buchanan has distinguished himself by his coolness and determination. On two occasions the aircraft, in which he was flying as rear gunner, was attacked by enemy fighters. He obtained hits on an attacking Ju88 despite the fact that his own aircraft had been struck by the enemy's fire and bullets had passed through his flying clothes." He survived the War.
Cedric Chambers arrived at 458 Squadron from 12 OTU on 31st October 1941, he too was posted to 148 Squadron where he too was awarded the DFM (Gazetted in March 1943 and on the same day as Gray-Buchanan's). The citation reads.. "Sgt Chambers is a wireless operator of exceptional ability. He possesses an excellent technical knowledge, and on occasions has effected repairs to his wireless apparatus while in the air, and so enabled the mission to be concluded successfully."

He was commissioned 14th May 1943 to P/O on probation (emergency)(146643) and rose to F/O on probation (war subs) on 14th November 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 14th May 1945. He remained in the RAF Post-War and reliquished his commision but retained the rank of F/Lt on 23rd October 1956.

Rossmore Wood was born in August 1921 in Northam, Western Australia. He enlisted on 20th August 1940 in Perth. On arrival in the UK he was posted to 456 Squadron on 13th August 1941 and later arrived at 458 Squadron on 7th November 1941 and went with the unit to the Middle East, being on attachment with 148 Squadron with pretty much all the members of 458 Squadron. He was commissioned on 8th December 1942, rising to F/O on 8th June 1943 and F/Lt on 8th December 1944. He completed a Tour with 148 Squadron and then returned to the UK in Spring 1943 to become was an instructor with 27 OTU. He then returned to operational flying after converting to Lancasters at 1662 CU and saw service with 405 Squadron; where he left on completing a second Tour on 19th May 1944. He was awarded the DFC on 20th May 1944, the citation was rather brief and stated "F/Lt Wood has completed man successful operations against the enemy in which he has displayed high skill, fortitude and devotion to duty".

Upon completion of his second tour he was posted to an instructing role with 1686 B(D)TF but his service records show that he was not keen on this posting, he left the UK in August 1944 and was posted back to Australia. During his time in the UK he married an Edinburgh girl.

Kenneth Campbell was born in Ipswich, Queensland in March 1920, he enlisted in Brisbane. An RAAF airman with the same name and initials reached the rank of S/Ldr and was awarded the DFC, it is possible that the two are infact the same man.
Wellington Z1272 was built to contract B.97887/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden (Chester) and was awaiting collection in August 1941. It was received by 46 MU on 26th August 1941 and was taken on charge 458 Squadron at Holme on Spalding Moor on 31st August 1941. It sustained flak damage on 8th November 1941 but this was not recorded on the aircraft's AM 78 history so the damage must have been only minor. It received Cat.Ac/FB battle damage on 27th December 1941 which saw it transported to Brooklands for repair on 9th January 1942. Once repair was complete it passed to 44 MU on 13th April 1942. It was then taken on charge by 301 Squadron at Hemswell on 27th August 1942. 305 Squadron began converting from Wellington MkII's to MkIV's so this aircraft was then transferred to them from 301 Squadron the following day, both units were based at Hemswell at the time. On 22nd September 1942 it sustained some form of battle damage, this was initially assessed as Cat.B but was then downgraded to Cat.Ac on 29th September 1942 and was repaired on site. It was returned to 305 Squadron in late-October 1942. On 13th January 1943 it crashed near Barrowby, Lincolnshire on return from a mine laying flight to the Brest area and the then crew of five were all killed. Cat.E2/FB damage was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was written off.

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