On the night of 29th / 30th June 1942 the crew of this 460 Squadron aircraft were tasked with mine laying off the French coast and had left Breighton at 22.40hrs. The aircraft sustained flak damage in both the wings in the St.Nazaire area and with searchlights operating. The pilot took evasive action and the rear gunner was reported to have shot out three searchlights. A safe return to Breighton was made at 06.30hrs. This was the crew's first operational flight together.
Pilot - Sgt Raymond Arthur Brittingham RAAF (403160), of Leura, New South Wales, Australia.
Second Pilot - Sgt William Richard Martin RAAF (404837), Atherton, Queensland, Australia.
Navigator - Sgt William Mervyn James Matchett RAAF (403396), of Grenfell, New South Wales, Australia.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Robert J Rogers RAFVR (1183329), of Wolverhampton, West Midlands.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Norman Henry Simpson RAAF (401053), of St.Arnaud, Victoria, Australia.
Rear Gunner - Sgt Russell Archie Johns RAAF (402710), of Roseville, New South Wales, Australia.
Wellington Z1212 was built to contract B.97887/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Chester (Hawarden) and was awaiting collection in June 1941 but was initially flown into MU storage with 48 M.U. at Howarden on 12th June 1941. It was taken on charge by 458 Squadron at Holme on Spalding Moor on 26th October 1941 but was never used operationally by them. As a result of a minor mishap there on 13th December 1941 Cat.A/FA damage was as serious as the damage would have got but it is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78. It would have been repaired on site but by the time the repair had been completed 458 Squadron had been withdrawn from operations in preparation for their move to the Middle East. The aircraft was transferred to 460 Squadron RAAF at Breighton on 4th March 1942. On or just prior to 22nd June 1942 it received minor Cat.Ac/FA damage but how this came about is not yet known. This saw a team from Vickers at Weybridge begin a repair on site on 22nd June 1942 and it was returned to 460 Squadron days later on 27th June 1942. On the night of 29th / 30th June 1942 it received flak damage on an operational flight but this damage does not feature on the aircraft's AM Form 78. It was again repaired on site and returned to 460 Squadron use. On 27th August 1942 it failed to return from Ops to Kassel when it was shot down by a night fighter over Holland. One of the crew managed to bale out but four of its then crew were killed. Cat E.m damage was recorded on the paperwork.
On the night of 29th / 30th July 1942 the crew listed above were flying Ops to Saarbrucken in Wellington Z1343. The aircraft was attacked by a night fighters and Sgt Johns received fatal injuries even though the aircraft was landed at Manston, Kent but he could not be saved. The twenty one year old was buried in Aylesham Cemetery, Kent.
Russell Johns was born on 21st April 1921 in Sydney and enlisted there on 12th October 1940.
On the night of 27th / 28th January 1943 P/O Brittingham, P/O Matchett, F/Sgt Rogers and Sgt Simpson were flying in Lancaster W4817 on Ops to Dusseldorf. All were killed and initially buried in Monchengladbach but are now buried in Rheinburg War Cemetery.
Raymond Brittingham was twenty eight years old. He was born on 16th April 1914 in Gunnedah, New South Wales and he enlisted in Sydney.
Norman Simpson was twenty one years old. He was born on 10th September 1921 in Essendon, Victoria and enlisted in Melbourne.
William Matchett was twenty eight years old. He was born on 4th August 1914 in Grenfell, New South Wales and he enlisted in Sydney.
Robert Rogers enlisted into the RAFVR in July 1940 and was posted to, after initial training, to 27 OTU in November 1941. He was twenty two years old.
William Martin was born on 6th January 1921 in Atherton, Queensland and enlisted in Brisbane on 6th December 1940, he was involved in farming at the time of enlisting. He was awarded the Wings on 25th September 1941 and on arrival in the UK was posted to 27 OTU on 18th November 1941 before posting to 20 OTU on 4th May 1942 and posting to 460 Squadron on 20th June 1942. He later transferred to 466 Squadron on 14th December 1942. On 14th / 15th February 1943 he was flying in Wellington HE153 on Ops to Cologne, on the return to the UK the aircraft crashed at Warter Priory near Pocklington, Yorkshire. Sadly one of the crew died and he and the others on board sustained serious injuries. He was initially treated at York Military Hospital before transfer to Rauceby. He returned to operational flying after release from hospital and later received his commission on 24th April 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation. For service with 466 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on. The citation reads.. "Throughout his operational career, P/O Martin has displayed impressive courage and quiet determination. He has efficiently attacked a wide variety of enemy targets and flown on mine-laying operations. Although seriously injured in a crash, upon his recovery this officer resumed operational flying with undiminished enthusiasm and has since taken part in sorties against many heavily defenced objectives in the Ruhr area. At all times his conduct has been highly commendable." He was posted to instruct at 27 OTU on 13th July 1943 and rose to F/O on 24th October 1943 but was posted back to Australia before the end of the War and discharged on 3rd July 1945.