Wellington BK332 at Marston Moor airfield.

On the night of 16th / 17th December 1942 this aircraft was used by a crew from 425 Squadron to lay mines but the crew could not locate the dropping area. The crew landed at Exeter on their return to the UK possibly having been on a brief detachment in the South of England. On 20th December 1942 this aircraft was being flown back to Yorkshire from Exeter and almost certainly to Dishforth airfield where 425 Squadron were based. A reference has been found in Marston Moor's station orb stating that this crashed in a field just off Marston Moor airfield at 13.30hrs and that poor visibility was to blame with the crew trying to land at Marston Moor. Nothing more about this incident is known at the time of creating this webpage.

Pilot - F/Sgt A H Jackson RCAF.

Crew - Names unknown but possibly..

Navigator - F/Sgt D A Bell.

Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt F G Atkinson.

Wireless Operator - F/Sgt J Ross.

Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph George Aime Chaput RCAF (R/123727).

Wellington BK332 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden. It was taken on charge directly by 425 Squadron at Dishforth on 30th September 1942. As a result of this damage sustained on 20th December 1942 minor repairable Cat.A/FA was the assessment and it was to have been repaired on site. The incident does not feature on the aircraft's AM Form 78. On 12th February 1943 it sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage in a flying accident though no details are known. It was repaired on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge and was returned to 425 Squadron on 20th February 1943. After repair it was transferred to 1485 (Bombing) Gunnery Flight at Fulbeck on 24th March 1943, who later moved to Skellingthorpe on 23rd August 1943. The aircraft was transferred to 16 O.T.U. at Upper Heyford on 17th September 1943. During a major inspection in July 1944 it found in need of repairs and received Cat.B damage. It was taken for repair at Fairfields but on completion of repair it passed to 8 MU on 18th February 1945 where it was placed in MU storage pending disposal. It was struck off charge on 12th May 1947.

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