Wellington Z8431 at Pocklington airfield.
At 11.30hrs on 11th February 1942 this 405 Squadron Wellington was being taxied on to the North-South facing runway at Pocklington airfield when the starboard main wheel became stuck in snow. The pilot reduced the throttle on both engines and left the engines idling. One member of groundcrew, who was inside the aircraft, noticed the problem and got out of the front escape hatch to try and clear the snow. Unfortunately in trying to clear the snow he walked backwards into the rotating starboard propeller and was struck on the head. The pilot was not aware of any incident until another member of ground crew within the aircraft told him what had happened. The seriously injured young man was taken to York Miltary Hospital at Fulford where he died of his injuries the following day at 03.45hrs.
F.M.E. Groundcrew - AC2 Robert Proctor Marriott RAFVR (1143666), aged 20, of Sheffield. Buried Shiregreen Cemetery, Sheffield, Yorkshire. Died 12/02/1942.
Pilot - Sgt Robert Neville Lonergan RAAF (404550).
Groundcrew - AC Labelle.
Sgt Lonergan was slightly injured on 22nd December 1941 when 405 Squadron Wellington W5560 crashed near Lindholme airfield. On 10th March 1942 F/Sgt Lonergan was flying in 405 Squadron Wellington Z8428 on an operational flight to bomb to Essen which was lost without trace. he was twenty two years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was born in Brisbane, Queensland in January 1920 and enlisted for RAAF service there, almost certainly in mid-1940.
Wellington Z8431 was built by Vickers and was delivered to 12 MU on 19th October 1941. It was then taken on charge by 218 Squadron at Marham on 8th November 1941 and was then transferred to 405 Squadron on 27th December 1941. The incident on 11th February 1942 is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78 which suggests that very little damage to the aircraft was sustained; at the most Cat.A/FA damage which would have been repaired on site locally. The aircraft was transferred to 12 Squadron on 14th May 1942 but on 12th September 1942 it sustained Cat.B/FB damage that saw it transported to Doncaster for a repair in a works factory. Once repaired some months later it was received by 45 MU on 14th July 1943. The aicraft was flown to 18 MU on 7th November 1943 and was stored. It was then struck off charge some months later as probably an obsolete aircraft. The date on the AM Form 78 is unreadable.