Wellington BK564 damaged by flak, returned to Topcliffe airfield.
On the night of 3rd / 4th March 1943 the crew of this 428 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to attack Hamburg and left Dalton at 18.18hrs. The crew bombed the target area at 21.36hrs but sustained minor flak damage. A safe return to the UK was made, landing at Topcliffe at 00.50hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Colin Rees Pearce RNZAF (414671).
Sgt W T Ellis
Sgt C Maddin
Sgt W J Randall
Sgt E L Robson
Sgt C Gordon
Colin Pearce was awarded the DFM for service with 428 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th July 1943 but by this date had already been killed. He and his crew had converted to fly Halifaxes and having just been posted/attached to 419 Squadron had just become operational again. On 22nd June 1943 while flying a 419 Squadron Halifax W1271 the aircraft was shot down over Holland. P/O Pearce was twenty two years old and is buried in Bergen Op Zoom War Cemetery, Holland.
Wellington BK564 was built to contract 124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong at Chester. It was delivered directly to 428 Squadron on 2nd December 1942. The battle damage on 3rd March 1943 is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78 so the damage must have been slight. It was lost on 30th March 1943 on Ops to Bochum when it crashed in Germany.