Wellington BK465 was built to contract B124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden. It was received by 45 M.U. on 2nd November 1942 and was taken on charge by 425 Squadron at Dishforth on 24th January 1943. It was first used operationally by 425 Squadron on 11th / 12th February 1943 and the squadron records mention nothing untoward happening. It's AM Form 78 states that it sustained Cat.Ac/FB battle damage on 13th February 1943 but on this date it was not used operationally. It therefore seems possible it was found to be slightly damaged following the operational sortie of the previous night. The AM78 states it was returned to 425 Squadron on 20th February 1943 following repair on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge. Unfortunately this is at odds with the 425 Squadron records that list BK465 as being used operationally on 19th / 20th February 1943. It was then used on 20th / 21st February 1943, 24th / 25th February 1943, 26th / 27th February 1943, 28th February 1943, 1st March 1943 and then on 3rd March 1943. The aircraft's AM78 states that it received Cat.Ac/FA damage on 5th March 1943. The squadron records do not list the aircraft as being flown on this date but they do state that eleven aircraft began an operational order to bomb Essen with one making an early return due to the starboard engine overheating. This early returning aircraft is not listed in the squadron records and they only list the ten that completed the operational order. It is possible that BK465 was the eleven aircraft and it received minor damage on landing. The damage sustained on 5th March 1943 was repaired on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge and was returned to 425 Squadron on 20th March 1943. It next appears on operational use on 28th March 1943 and then on 4th April 1943. Here finally the squadron records and the AM78 agree. On 4th April 1943 it crashed near Dishforth / Marton le Moor. It then received Cat.Ac/FB damage on 4th April 1943 which, yet again, was repaired on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge. It was returned to 425 Squadron on 19th June 1943 though appears to have been allotted to 16 O.T.U. but may never have gone there. On 26th July 1943 it received Cat.Ac/FA damage. On the aircraft's AM 78 it next appears on charge with 426 Squadron but the date it was received is not listed. This would seem to be an error as 426 Squadron were receiving Lancasters by this date and not Wellingtons. There may have been an error in recording the transfer to 426 Squadron prior to it arriving at 16 OTU and the undated entry on the AM78 may just reflect this. On 7th September 1943 it was transferred to 29 OTU. It was slightly damaged on 1st October 1943 and was again repaired by a team from Vickers at Weybridge. In April 1944 it sustained repairable Cat.B damage that was repaired in the works factory at Sywell. It was repaired by August 1944 and was taken on charge by 30 OTU on 13th August 1944. Much later on 10th April 1948 it was received by 18 MU. The date it was struck off charge is not given on the AM Form 78.