Wellington Z8400 damaged by flak, landed at Driffield airfield.
On the evening of 25th / 26th March 1942 this 158 Squadron Wellington was being flown on an operational flight to bomb Essen and took off from Driffield at 19.15hrs. The crew bombed the target area from 14,000 feet but the aircraft was struck by flak which caused a large hole to be blown in the starboard wing. Despite the damage the crew made a safe landing at Driffield at 01.24hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Valentine George James Agutter RAFVR (1376899).
Second Pilot - Sgt John Edwin Travers Saunders RAFVR (1263253).
Navigator - Sgt David Julian Serpell RAAF (400507).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Gilbert Vincent Slide RAFVR (1166500).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt William Walton RAFVR (1104554).
Air Gunner - P/O John William Parker Curtis RAFVR (116949).
Valentine Agutter was born in Bethnal Green, London in 1912. He received his commission to the rank of P/O (emergency) on 1st May 1942. He rose to the rank of F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st November 1942. He was awarded the DFC for service with 158 Squadron on 6th November 1942 and was in the rank of Acting F/Lt at the time. The citation for this award reads.. "F/Lt Agutter has made many sorties over enemy territory, taking part in such successful raids as those on Lubeck, Rostock, Cologne, Hamburg and Dusseldorf, and producing some excellent photographs. On two occasions, by his skill and ability, he has brought a damaged aircraft safely back to base." He rose to F/Lt (war subs) on 8th December 1943. As Acting S/Ldr he was Mentioned in Despatches on 14th January 1944 and again for services to 1668 HCU on 1st January 1946. he had married in the Edmonton area of Middlesex in 1941 and married again Wood Green, Middlesex in 1954. It is possible that he died in Enfield, Middlesex in 1974.
David Serpell was born in Box Hill, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 20th April 1921. He enlisted into the RAAF on 14th September 1940 in Melbourne and after completing his initial training and further training in Canada he arrived in the UK and trained at 22 OTU from 4th August 1941 to 15th October 1941. After completing this training he was posted to 104 Squadron on 15th October 1941, part of 104 Squadron later became 158 Squadron and he was posted to this unit on his commission on 15th May 1942. After converting to Halifax's with 158 Squadron Conversion Unit his spell with 158 Squadron there after was brief as he was posted to 2 School of Air Navigation on 31st October 1942 and then on to the Central Navigation School on 21st February 1943. He was admitted to hospital while at this training unit for an unknown reason. He had received his commission on 15th May 1942 and rose to F/O on 15th November 1942 and then to F/Lt on 15th May 1944 but ended the War in Australia after leaving the UK by the end of 1943. He was later posted to 3 OTU on 30th April 1945 and then to 11 Squadron on 24th August 1945 and later to 33 Squadron with whom he flew before receiving his discharge in July 1946.
Gilbert Slide was born in the Aston area of Warwickshire in 1910. P/O Slide was the sole survivor from Halifax W7863 on 17th November 1942 when the aircraft crashed in France after being shot down by Hpt Heinrich Wohlers. He became a PoW. The Luftwaffe pilot had, by the end of February 1944, claimed twenty nine Allied aircraft as destroyed. Gilbert Slide had received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 1st May 1942. He rose to the rank of F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st November 1942 and then to F/Lt (war subs) on 1st May 1944. He remained in the RAF Post-War and relinquished his commission on 4th May 1955, retaining his rank of F/Lt. He died in the Bromsgrove area of Worcestershire in 2003.
John Curtis had earlier served with 104 Squadron. He received a commission on 16th February 1942 and was later awarded the DFC on 12th January 1943 and received a Mention in Despatches in 1945.
John Saunders was killed flying with 158 Squadron on 30th April 1942 when Wellington Z8525 failed to return from Ops to Oostende. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
William Walton was killed flying with 158 Squadron on 14th July 1942 when Halifax W7753 failed to return from Ops to Duisburg. He was twenty one years old and is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Wellington Z8400 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in September 1941. It was received by 38 MU on 11th September 1941 and was immediately taken on charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 15th September 1941. It was slightly damaged in a flying accident on the night of 7th / 8th December 1941 after which Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment. It was repaired on site and returned to 104 Squadron on 3rd January 1942. In February 1942 158 Squadron reformed at Driffield out of "C-Flight" of 104 Squadron, they took Z8400 on charge. As a result of the minor damage sustained on 26th March 1942 Cat.A(C)/FB damage would have been the damage assessment and a repair on site would have resulted although there is no mention of this incident on the aircraft's AM Form 78. In June 1942 158 Squadron commenced re-equipping with Halifax MkII's so the this Wellington was transferred to 12 Squadron at Binbrook on 4th June 1942. On 25th September 1942 it moved with this unit to Wickenby. On 27th October 1942 it sustained major damage in a flying accident that saw Cat.B/FA damage be the damage assessment. It was repaired in works at Fairfields. On completion of the repairs in June 1943 it was flown to 8 MU where it was stored. It was eventually struck off charge on 19th November 1944.