On the night of 2nd / 3rd July 1942 the crew of this 460 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Bremen. They left Breighton at 23.21hrs and bombed the target at 01.54hrs from 13,000 feet but the aircraft was hit by flak and one geodetic section was damaged behind the astrohatch area of the aircraft. The crew made a safe return to base and landed at Breighton at 04.54hrs and the aircraft was repaired.
Pilot - Sgt Albert George Grand RAAF (402948), of Casino, New South Wales, Australia.
Navigator - Sgt James Halls Crabb RAAF (401084), of Moreland, Western Australia.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Norman Ratten RAAF (402606).
Bomb Aimer? - Sgt S R Jackson.
Rear Gunner - Name obsured in ORB but possibly Sgt Robert Thomas Hood RAAF (403268), of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia.
P/O Albert Grand was reported as missing on 4th August 1942 flying in Wellington Z1422 on a mine laying flight off the French coast.
He was twenty two years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Norman Ratten was born on 11th July 1910 in Thirroul, New South Wales. He enlisted on 16th September 1941 in Sydney.
After training in Canada he was posted to 27 OTU on 21st October 1941 and then on to 460 Squadron on 13th May 1942.
The flak incident recorded above took place on his eleven operational flight. He later converted to flying
Lancasters with 1656 CU begining on 21st October 1942 before returning to his parent unit on 10th November 1942.
He completed his Tour and was awarded the DFM for service with 460 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th April 1943, the citation reads.. "Sgt Ratten has displayed great efficiency and
enthusiasm as a wireless operator throughout his operational tour. His courage and devotion to duty have always been an inspiration to his comrades." He received his commission
on 29th December 1942 and later rose to F/O on 29th June 1943 and to F/Lt on 29th December 1944
having served at 1662 CU at Blyton he returned to 460 Squadron in March 1944 and flew a second Tour. He
later served at Bomber Command HQ before returning to Australia. For completing a second Tour he was awarded the DFC on 19th January 1945, the citation reads.. "F/O Ratten is now
on his second tour of operational duty. He has participated in many sorties against such heavily defended
targets as Berlin, Frankfurt and Essen and throughout all his operations has set an outstanding example of cool courage, initiative
and devotion to duty. On numerous occasions his vigilant search and prompt instructions have assisted his pilot to combat attacked from
enemy night fighters. On one occasion in April 1944 his aircraft was detailed for a mine-laying mission to Danzig Bay. While flying
over enemy territory on the return flight this officer detected an enemy fighter at considerable range and, by his fine co-operation, the
gunners were forewarned and a Messerschmitt 410 was damaged and driven off."
If the rear gunner was indeed one Robert Hood then he was later awarded the DFM for service with 460 Squadron
but died on 3rd September 1943 when 156 Squadron PFF Lancaster JA915 crashed in Norfolk. He was twenty three years old and is buried at Cambridge City Cemetery.
James Crabb was born on 26th June 1918 in Subiaco, Western Australia and enlisted in Melbourne. He was awarded the DFC for service with 460 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th April 1943.
Wellington Z1484 was built to contract B.97887/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden, Chester and was awaiting collection in February 1942. It was received by 12 MU at Kirkbride on 19th February 1942 and was later taken on charge by 460 Squadron at Breighton on 20th May 1942. As a result of minor damage on 3rd July 1942 Cat.A/FB damage would have been recorded on the paperwork. It was repaired on site and was then flak damaged again on 27th / 28th August 1942 on Ops and again Cat.A/FB would have been the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. Neither incident is logged on the aircraft's AM Form 78. The aircarft was taken on charge by 18 O.T.U. at Bramcote on 29th September 1942. It was slightly damaged in a flying accident on 20th November 1942 and Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment. It was repaired on site and was returned to 18 O.T.U. on 19th December 1942. It then moved to 104 Transport O.T.U. at Nutt's Corner on 23rd April 1943 a month after the unit formed. On 5th February 1944 104 O.T.U. disbanded and the aircraft may have remained there pending disposal. It was struck off charge on 1st April 1944.
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