Wellington HE199 damaged on Ops, further damaged at Burn airfield.
On the evening of 3rd March 1943 the crew of this 431 Squadron aircraft had been damaged in combat with a Junkers Ju88 while flying a mine-laying operational flight to the Frisian Islands. The aircraft sustained damage to the undercarriage and a small fire was started in the fuselage behind the cockpit but was put out. The rear gunner returned fire and drove off the attacking aircraft. The pilot was able to bring the aircraft back to Snaith airfield and made a belly landing at 23.24hrs. The aircraft was later repaired and was written off following a crash in May 1944.
Pilot - Sgt John Morton RAFVR (1095060).
Navigator - Sgt Douglas Findlay Rands RAFVR (1335271).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt George Sabathu Milner RAFVR (1292164).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Robert Holmes RAFVR (1477234).
Air Gunner - Sgt Thomas Bell RAFVR (1085409).
This crew joined 431 Squadron shortly after it formed in November 1942 and flew the first operational flight with them on 2nd March 1943. On the night of 14th / 15th April 1943 they were flying Wellington HE201 when they were attacked by two enemy fighters, the rear gunner Sgt Bell shot them both down. I have not yet traced Sgt Bell but Morton, Rands, Milner and Holmes converted from Wellingtons to Halifaxes and continued to serve with 431 Squadron until the night of 25th / 26th November 1943 when Halifax LK973 failed to return from Frankfurt. All four are buried in Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
I have not yet traced Sgt Bell's postings later in the war, one would generally expect him to have received some sort of award for his actions in the air in saving his aircraft and crew but none appears to have been forthcoming.
Wellington HE199 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in November 1942. The aircraft was taken on charge by 431 Squadron at Burn on 9th December 1942. As a result of damage sustained on 3rd March 1943 Cat.Ac/FA damage was the damage assessment, this resulted in a repair on site being carried out by a team from Vickers at Weybridge and it was returned to 431 Squadron on 7th June 1943. The aircraft was transferred to 82 O.T.U. at Ossington on 16th July 1943. The aircraft fell victim to friendly fire on 29th May 1944 when it was shot down by anti-aircraft guns and crashed near Shaftesbury. Three of the five crew were killed. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was written off.