Wellington Z8418 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield.
On the evening of 6th January 1942 this aircraft was one of a number belonging to 405 Squadron that were flying an operational flight to bomb Cherbourg docks. They took off from Pocklington at 17.26hrs but cloud cover prevented this crew from seeing their target so they jettisoned their bomb load. On their return to Yorkshire the aircraft landed at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield at 22.25hrs. They had infact been cleared to land at Pocklington airfield but were infact in the circuit of Holme on Spalding Moor at the time and landed there by mistake. The area was almost certainly covered in a blanket of snow at the time possibly confusing the crew. After touching down it then struck Wellington R1695 damaging both aircraft. It later transpired that the crew had received both wireless communications from Pocklington informing them to land there and also Aldis light signals from Holme instructing them the same. A Court of Inquiry would follow and would find the crew of Z8418 were not to blame.
Pilot - P/O Keith Frederick Thiele RNZAF (NZ404966).
? - Sgt Field.
? - Sgt Leslie.
? - Sgt Harcourt
? - Sgt James John Hughes RAFVR (964479).
Rear Gunner - Sgt Robert E Peel RAFVR (939838).
Kieth Thiele's life is well documented. By the end of the war he would have been awarded the DSO and also the DFC with Two Bars.
James Hughes received a Mention in Despatches on an unknown date and was granted a commission on 17th June 1942. On 28th June 1942 he was flying Ops to Bremen in 405 Squadron Halifax W1110 when the aircraft crashed off the Dutch coast. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Peel's logbook was offered for sale on Ebay in early 2020.
Wellington Z8418 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 8 MU on 30th September 1941 and was taken on charge by 405 Squadron at Pocklington on 22nd October 1941. As a result of the damage on 7th January 1942 Cat.Ac/FA damage appears to have been the damage assessment although this was re-assessed as Re-Cat.B soon afterwards. It was taken away and repaired in works at Sywell being replaced at 405 Squadron by W5531 which carried the same squadron code "LQ-U". The repairs were complete on 1st April 1942 when 44 MU received the aircraft. After a brief spell with 38 MU it was taken on charge by the O.A.P.U. on 26th June 1941 and was taken on charge by 1443 Flight (Ferry Training Flight) based at Harwell on 3rd July 1942. On 22nd July 1942 it was transferred to No.1 O.A.D.U. at Portreath. The aircraft was then to have been ferried to North Africa. Between 21st and 23rd July 1942 it is listed as being en-route but then on 12th August 1942 it was back with No.1 O.A.D.U. possibly suggesting that there was a problem half way there and it turned around. On 12th August 1942 it passed to the O.A.P.U. and was returned to No.1 O.A.D.U. on 26th September 1942. It appears to have been flown to Gibraltar on 8th October 1942. On 1st November 1942 it was being flown from Gibraltar to Bathhurst when it failed to arrive. Two of the crew were killed and have no known graves but four others survived. Exactly what happened to the aircraft is unclear though it may have force-landed in neutral territory. Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was struck off charge.