On the night of 5th / 6th May 1942 the crew of this 460 Squadron aircraft took off at 21.05hrs tasked with Ops to Stuttgart. The aircraft was one of ten from 460 Squadron used for operations on the night. After bombing the target area they made for home but were met with heavy flak and searchlights over Gravelines, the pilot took evasive action and when they were clear of the flak the pilot called all the crew on the intercom. No reply came from the second pilot so the wireless operator was tasked with looking for him. He discovered that his helmet was under the rest position bed and that his parachute was missing, there was a large hole kicked through the fuselage with a nearby escape hatch having been broken open. With there being no sign of the missing airman it was assumed that he had left the aircraft. The Wellington landed at Breighton at 05.50hrs on 7th May 1942 without further incident and the slight damage was repaired. No order to bale out had been given. The second pilot's body was later found in Pointe D’Oyelnt, Gravelines, France; after aircraft was seen to fly over the area at around 3,000 feet and the airman's parachute had failed to open. After a search by local people his body was found in a flax field and later in the day the German's took charge of his body and he was buried locally.
Pilot - F/O Thomas Harrison Bourke RAAF (407192), of Point Piper, New South Wales, Australia.
Second Pilot - F/Sgt Henry Graham Ronaldson Corser RAAF (404718), aged 26, of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. Buried Pihen-les-Guines, France.
Navigator - P/O William Martin Murphy RAAF (404353), of Virginia, Queensland, Australia.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Richard Paterson Davis RAAF (407285), of Mornington. Victoria. Australia.
Air Gunner - Sgt Bernard George Payn Balleine RAAF (407280), of Petershead, South Australia.
Air Gunner - Sgt Ian Grantley Holborow RAAF (402290), of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
F/Sgt Corser's initial grave marker. He was born on 16th October 1915 in Brisbane and enlisted on 8th November 1940 at Brisbane, at the time he was working as a sharebroker. He was awarded his Wings on 26th June 1941 in Canada and on arrival in the UK he was posted to 27 OTU on 9th September 1941. After completing his training he was posted to 460 Squadron on 27th November 1941.
Wellington Z1388 was built to contract B.97887/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd, at Hawarden, Chester and was awaiting collection in November 1941. It was received by 45 MU on 26th November 1941 and was then taken on charge by 460 Squadron at Molesworth on 13th December 1941. It moved with the squadron to Breighton on 4th January 1942. Minor Cat.A/FB damage would have been as bad as the damage on 6th May 1942 got and it would have been a job for the ground crew at Breighton to repair. The incident does not feature on the aircraft's AM Form 78. It then failed to return from Ops on 30th May 1942 and Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork.
On 30th May 1942 F/Lt Bourke (29), F/O Murphy (23), F/Sgt Davis (22), Balleine (26) and Sgt Holborow were flying Ops to Gennevilliers in this same aircraft. The aircraft crashed near Dreux, France with the loss of all but the rear gunner who became a PoW. Those who died are buried in Viroflay New Communal Cemetery, France. The Australian National Archives gives basic information on where the casualties occurred. It lists Balleine as being "over France", Murphy as being at "Gennevilliers", Bourke as "Colombes, Seine et Oise" and Davis as "De-Ille-Marante" while Holborow was found at "Island Marante".
Thomas Bourke was born on 6th April 1913 in Reigate, Kent, England. Having moved to Australia he enlisted in Adelaide.
William Murphy was born on 13th May 1919 in Brisbane and enlisted there.
Richard Davis was born on 21st August 1919 in Adelaide and enlisted there.
Bernard Balleine was born on 16th June 1915 in Adelaide and enlisted there. His parents lost another son on 27th November 1941 Able Seaman Frederick Balleine was killed on HMAS Parramatta, sunk by U-559 off Tobruk, Libya. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Ian Holborow was born on 17th July 1909 in Sydney, New South Wales and enlisted there. He was an old man compared to the other members of his crew.