Wellington Z8491 near Sheffield (possibly in Derbyshire).

On the evening of 6th February 1942 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with Ops to Brest, they left base of Binbrook in Lincolnshire at 17.39hrs. They were unable to drop their bombs over the target because of poor visibility so were returning to base with the bombs on board and after flying through thick snow clouds for much of the return home the crew became lost. The aircraft eventually flew into snow-covered high ground in the Peak District, believed to have been in the region of Barbrook reservoir to the west of Sheffield at 22.45hrs. The six crew had all survived but they all sustained injuries, some more serious than others and thankfully none of the bombs the aircraft was carrying had exploded. The second pilot was thrown out of the aircraft during the crash and was only slightly injured but he believed that he was over occupied Europe, possibly suffering from shock he left the area of the crash and fearing capture he found somewhere to hide. The pilot and the front gunner suffered more serious injuries and remained in their positions. The rear turret finished upside down, leaving the gunner trapped but only slightly injured inside but unable to get free, the final two other less injured members of the crew attempted to free him but were unsuccessful, one of these men then went to find help. He eventually met a man who was out checking the frozen Barbrook reservoir. Both he and the Home Guard later located the crash site and brought down some of the crew to his house. The trapped air gunner proved the problem, the Home Guard men, a doctor and by now joined by RAF personnel returned to the site and spent a number of hours in freezing conditions attempting to free him, during this time of the Home Guard wrapped him in his coat, in the long term this probably saved the airmen but the Home Guard man apparently later died from an illness which resulted from being out in the cold without proper clothing (his name is not yet known). The gunner was freed and taken down from the moor. The final member of the crew to be found was the second pilot, it would be some twelve hours before he was found suffering cracked ribs, but frost bite has set in because of his night in the snow without proper clothing, he would later lose a number of his fingers. Many of the rescuers were commended for their actions for the rescue of the trapped airmen with live bombs being in close proximity to the turret. Alan Clark's website detailing air accidents in the Peak District has a much more detailed account and is far better placed to know the area.

Wellington Z8491 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Weybridge and was delivered to 38 MU at Llandow on 1st November 1941. On 17th November 1941 it was taken on charge by 12 Squadron based at Binbrook. As a result of the mishap on 6th February 1942 Cat.E2/FB damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on 21st February 1942 when the paperwork caught up.

Pilot - F/O Colin Arthur Barnes DFC RAFVR (62268). Broken ankle and head injuries.

Second Pilot - P/O Jack Owen Seammen RAFVR (100073). Slightly injured.

Navigator - Sgt Philip Robert Coldwell RAFVR (954360), of Wingate, Co.Durham. Slightly injured.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Williams Carson RAFVR (955721), of West Ham, London. Slightly injured.

Air Gunner - Sgt Brian Pearson Lunn RAFVR (999230), of Blackpool, Lancashire. Injured.

Rear Gunner - Sgt Frederick John Blute RAFVR (1190531), of Orpington, Kent. Slightly injured.

Philip Coldwell received a commission and rose through the ranks and as S/Ldr (137578) DFM DSO was killed flying with 7 Squadron on 20th May 1944 in Lancaster ED845. He is buried in Le Mans West Cemetery, France. He was twenty four years old. His DFM was awarded for serivce with 7 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th February 1943 (but almost certainly for completing a Tour previously). His DSO was awarded for service with 7 Squadron, Gazetted on 24th September 1943, the citation reads.. "Flight Lieutenant Coldwell has completed a large number of sorties, many of them to far distant targets in Germany and often against heavy opposition. He is a navigator of exceptional ability and his work, carefully planned and brilliantly executed, has been reflected in the repeated successes obtained. Flight Lieutenant Coldwell is a most valuable member of the squadron and his praiseworthy qualities have set a high standard."
Sgt Lunn was killed on 14th September 1942 still serving with 12 Squadron, he is listed on the Runnymede Memorial and was twenty four years old. He was flying in Wellington Z1728 lost on Ops to Bremen.
Frederick Blute was later awarded the DFM and commissioned on 12th September 1942. He had received his commission and promotion to F/O when, on 21st April 1944, he was flying in Lancaster ND785 with 100 Squadron and was killed on Ops. He is buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany. He was thirty three years old. His DFM was awarded for service with 12 Squadron (Gazetted in January 1943) and mentioned the crash detailed above, the citation reads.. "This air gunner has flown on many sorties in which such heavily defended targets as Berlin. Essen. Cologne, and Bremen have been attacked. On one occasion, in February 1942 on the return flight from Brest, his aircraft struck the edge of a mountainside in Yorkshire. The ground was covered in snow and it was intensely cold. F/Sgt Blute lay trapped upside down in the rear turret for 12 1/2 hours. After recovery from his injuries he asked to resume operational flying."
Colin Barnes was commissioned on 29th January 1941, he was awarded the DFC for service with 12 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th March 1942 for his handling of a damaged aircraft and returning it to the UK. The citation for this award states "This officer has carried out sorties over heavily defended targets, including Berlin, Stettin, Wilhelmshaven, Hamburg and Cherbourg. His attacks have been carried through with skill and determination and on numerous occasions he has remained in heavy defence concentrations while making several runs over the target. He is a fine operational pilot and captain of aircraft". He never returned to operational flying and took a number of instructing roles, being Mentioned in Despatches in June 1944, June 1945 and then again in January 1946 with many hundred Air Force personnel each time.

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