Wellington DF671 near Finningley airfield.
On 28th June 1943 this 18 O.T.U. aircraft was being flown on a navigation training flight when, at 17.15hrs, while the aircraft was making an approach to land at Finningley when the flaps would not lower correctly. The aircraft left the centre line of the approach and realising this could not be successful landed the pilot raised the undercarriage and made a belly landing near "Picklewood". The aircraft was badly damaged but the crew escaped injury. Picklewood is the place named in the airfield station records.
Pilot - Sgt Henry Wilson Heron RAFVR (158583).
Crew - Names unknown. Air Gunner received minor head injuries.
Sgt Henry Heron completed his training and was posted to 166 Squadron. In the early hours of 31st August 1943 he was flying Wellington HE988 on Ops to Monchengladbach when the aircraft crashed in Belgium with the loss of the whole crew. He was initially buried locally to where the aircraft crashed but is now buried in Heverlee War Cemetery. He was twenty five years old. It is possible that his crew on this flight was the same as involved in the landing accident at Finningley a couple of months earlier.
Wellington DF671 was built to contract B.92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Squires Gate. It was received by 23 MU on 9th August 1942 and after a short period of storage it was taken on charge by 424 Squadron on 20th December 1942 two months after they formed. As a result of this minor battle damage sustained on 17th February 1943 and then on 1st March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage would have been the damage assessment each time with a repair on site following. Only the 1st March 1943 incident is listed on it's AM Form 78. It was returned to 424 Squadron on 22nd April 1943. The aircraft was left behind in Yorkshire when 424 Squadron moved over seas in May 1943 and it next appears being taken on charge by 18 O.T.U. at Finningley on 5th June 1943. Unfortunately it crashed near Finningley on 28th June 1943. After this Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was written off.