Wellington W5531 damaged by enemy aircraft, landed at Driffield airfield.

On 21st January 1942 the crew of this 104 Squadron aircraft were to undertake an operational flight to bomb Bremen and set out from Driffield at 17.35hrs. They bombed the target area at 20.25hrs from 15,000ft but were attacked twice by an Me110 over the target and the aircraft sustained slight damage. The crew made a safe return to Driffield and landed at 23.27hrs. The aircraft and all of the crew listed below were part of the 104 Squadron group of men that formed 158 Squadron in February 1942.

Pilot - P/O William Reid Suggitt RCAF (J/15131).

Second Pilot - Sgt Kenneth Oscar Henry Bruning RAFVR (958415).

Observer - P/O Leonard John Fairbairn RNZAF (401492).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Eric Herbert Parker RAFVR (1169228).

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Eric Leslie Lister RAFVR (922351).

Air Gunner - Sgt Archibald Harkness RAFVR (979397).

Wellington W5531 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in May 1941. It was received by 12 MU on 11th May 1941 and after a short period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 10th June 1941. It sustained battle damage on 15th July 1941 which saw Cat.Ac/FB damage be the damage assessment. It was repaired on site and returned to 104 Squadron. The damage sustained on 9th September 1941 would have seen Cat.Ac/FA damage be the damage assessment which saw it again repaired on site. It was repaired on site and returned to 104 Squadron on 8th November 1942. The squadron records list that it sustained minor damage on 10th January 1942 it returned to base early during an operational flight but overshot and was very slightly damaged. This is not on it's AM Form 78. It's AM Form 78 does rceord that it received minor Cat.Ac/FB battle damage on 21st January 1942. Both incidents would have seen it repaired on site. It was returned to 104 Squadron on 31st January 1942. On 14th February 1942 this was one of 104 Squadron 'C'Flight aircraft transferred when 158 Squadron formed at Driffield (though the date on the AM78 states 31st January 1942 (before they existed). The aircraft was then transferred to 405 Squadron at Pocklington on 11th March 1942. On 13th April 1942 it suffered an engine fire on Ops to Essen and crashed near Stowmarket, Suffolk with two of the then crew being killed. Cat.E2/FB damage was recorded. It was struck off charge on 18th April 1942.
Leonard Fairbairn was killed flying with 158 Squadron on 17th November 1942 when Halifax W7863 crashed in France on an operational flight. He was thirty years old and is buried in Consigny Communal Cemetery, France.
Archibald Harkness was killed flying with 158 Squadron on 14th July 1942 flying Ops to Duisburg in Halifax DG227 which crashed into the North Sea off Yarmouth, Norfolk. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Eric Parker flying in Wellington Z8534 and was seriously injured by anti-aircraft fire on an operational flight on 13th March 1942 while serving with 158 Squadron. He died in Newark hosptial on 26th March 1942 of his injuries. He was twenty four years old and is buried in Cockshutt Churchyard, Shropshire.
Eric Lister was posted to 158 Squadron in February 1942 and later to 431 Squadron. He was killed on 4th December 1943 when Halifax LK898 crashed on Ops to Leipzig with the loss of all the crew. He was twenty two years old and is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
William Suggitt was born in Toronto, Ontario in December 1920. He enlisted into the RCAF in October 1940 in Toronto and after basic training in Canada he was posted overseas in April 1941. On arrival in England he trained at 22 OTU before posting to 405 Squadron on 23rd July 1941. He was posted to 104 Squadron on 4th December 1941 and then to 158 Squadron when it formed out of what was left of 104 Squadron on 14th February 1942. He completed his first Tour in April 1942 and was then posted to 26 OTU to instruct. In December 1942 he was posted to 428 Squadron. He converted to flying Halifaxes at 1659 HCU at Topcliffe in June 1943 and returned to 428 Squadron. He was awarded the DFC for service with 428 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th July 1943. The citation for his DFC reads.."This officer has a fine operational record which has included sorties to all the most heavily defended centres in Germany and enemy occupied territory. He has recently taken part in raids on the Ruhr Valley including Essen and Duisburg and on the U-Boat bases of North-West Germany and France. Despite intense anti-aircraft opposition, even when the bomber has been hit by shrapnel from very close shell bursts, he has always pressed home his attacks with the utmost determination. He is an ideal operational captain whose example has been an inspiration to all other pilots in the squadron." In October 1943 he was posted to 617 Squadron and converted to flying Lancasters. On 13th February 1944 he was seriously injured in the crash of Lancaster DV382 near Upwaltham, West Sussex and died two days later. S/Ldr Suggitt was 23 years old and is buried in Chichester Cemetery, Sussex. He is now commemorated by a memorial in the parish church near to where the Lancaster crashed.

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