Wellington Z8405 at Driffield airfield.
On 4th March 1942 this 104 Squadron aircraft overshot on landing at Driffield airfield following a training flight and hit petrol bowser. The crew escaped injury and the aircraft was later repaired. The aircraft shown above probably shows Wellington Z8405 while with 104 Squadron.
Pilot - Sgt Ralph Connors O'Brien RCAF (R/73008).
Crew - Names unknown.
Ralph O'Brien was born on 13th August 1917 in Beaver Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada and was the son of Edmund Ralph and Sarah Jane O'Brien. He was a student when he enlisted for RCAF service on 11th September 1940. After training in Canada he arrived in the UK in July 1941 and over the coming months had trained at 22 OTU before posting to 104 Squadron on 15th October 1941. He later received a commission but was killed flying the 1000 Bomber Raid on Cologne in Wellington W5392 on 30th / 31st May 1942 when his aircraft suffered from severe icing and was shot down by a night fighter with the loss of the whole crew. He was twenty four years old and is now buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Wellington Z8405 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 33 MU on 16th September 1941 and was taken on charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 21st September 1941. It's AM Form 78 states that it required a repair on site on 10th December 1941 but not details of why this was required are known as it is not listed in the 104 Squadron records. It was returned to 104 Squadron on 20th December 1941 and as a result of a mishap at Driffield on 10th January 1942 Cat.A/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site. This incident was probably so minor that it is not on the AM Form 78. This aircraft was one of the aircraft that 158 Squadron took when they formed out of "C-Flight", 104 Squadron on 14th February 1942. On 4th March 1942 it sustained minor damage at Driffield that was assessed as being Cat.Ac/FA. A repair on site was begun but on 18th March 1942 it was deemed more serious so was Re-Cat.B and was transported to Brooklands for a repair in works to continue. Once repaired it passed on to 8 MU on 23rd July 1942 and was then received by the O.A.P.U. on 4th September 1942. 1446 (Ferry Training) Flight, based at Moreton in the Marsh took the aircraft on chagre on 9th October 1942 and it was passed on to No.1 O.A.D.U. at Portreath on 20th November 1942. It left the UK for North Africa on 27th November 1942 but on 30th November 1942 en-route to the Middle East it swung on take off at Gibraltar and collided with Wellington HX746. Cat.B/FA damage was the initial damage assessment but during the repair on 27th February 1943 it was Re-Cat.E and the aircraft was written off.