Wellington X3763 damaged by flak, returned to Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 13th / 14th October 1942 a number of 425 Squadron aircraft and crews were involved in flying operational flights to bomb Kiel. This specific
aircraft set out from Dishforth at 18.31hrs, it was slightly damaged by flak over Germany but the crew were able to make a safe return to England, landing at 01.30hrs and almost certainly landing at base of Dishforth.
Pilot - Sgt Raymond Bagnall Smith RAFVR (657265).
Second Pilot - Sgt George Edward Cronk RCAF (R/93197), of Hollywood, California, USA.
Navigator - Sgt Francis William Frudd RCAF, of Detroit, Michigan, USA. Wife of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
? - Sgt R M Anderson.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Ivan Anderson RCAF, of Vervilion, Alberta, Canada.
Air Gunner - Sgt John Rankin RCAF, of Moosic, Pennsylvania, USA.
Raymond Smith was born in Birmingham in 1918 and attending school in Langley. He initially inlisted into the Army in 1939 but transferred to the RAFVR in 1941.
He begun operational flying with 425 Squadron on 5th October 1942 but flew one operational flight with an unknown unit just prior to this (probably for operational
experience). He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 9th October 1942 and rose to F/O on 9th May 1943. By 10th May 1943 he had flown 28 operational flights and was recommended for the DFC. This DFC was granted and notification printed in the London Gazette on 13th July 1943. He and much of his 425 Squadron crew were posted to 405 Squadron PFF around the same time. Post-war he remained in the RAFVR at least until 1951 when he transferred to the RAF. Much of this biography has been drawn on the superb research done by Hugh Halliday.
Wellington X3763 was built to contract B.92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Squires Gate, Blackpool and was awaiting collection in April 1942. It was received by 12 MU on 13th April 1942 and after a period of MU storage it was taken on charge by 425 Squadron at Dishforth on 4th August 1942 soon after the unit formed. As a result of the battle damage sustained on 14th October 1942 minor Cat.A/FB damage was the result of the assessment and it was repaired on site. On 9th November 1942 it sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage as the result of a flying accident but no details are yet known. The aircraft was repaired on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge and it was returned to 425 Squadron 19th December 1942. It was lost on Ops to Stuttgart on 15th April 1943 when it crashed in France, Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork.
On 23rd September 1942 Sgt Cronk was the pilot of Wellington BJ700 undertaking a navigation exercise when the aircraft iced up over Wales. He made a forced landing in a field near Llangernyw and the aircraft was recovered and repaired. He soon received a commission. On 7th December 1942 he was flying 425 Squadron
Wellington BJ657 on Ops to Mannheim when he failed to return and all on board were recorded as missing. He was twenty one years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Although listed on CWGC as being from Hollywood, USA his father is listed as living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada when the notification of his death was printed early in 1943.
On the night of 3rd / 4th July 1943 P/O Smith, P/O Frudd, P/O J I Anderson and P/O Rankin were flying together in Halifax HR813 with 405 Squadron on Ops to Cologne. The aircraft crashed in Belgium and sadly P/O Rankin died. The rest of the crew became PoWs. John Rankin is buried in Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.