Wellington HE392 damaged by flak, landed at Burn airfield.
On the evening of 7th March 1943 the crew of this 431 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to lay mines in the waters around the Frisian Islands when it was slightly damaged by flak. A tear in the port aileron was created by the flak burst. The crew were able to bring the aircraft back to base and landed at Burn at 23.10hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Phillip Davis RAFVR (1331922).
Navigator - Sgt Osmonde Edward Reece Davies RAFVR (1095397).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Donald McConvell RAFVR (1322079).
Wireless Operator - Sgt John Walter Cant RAFVR (1266934).
Air Gunner - Sgt Brian Clark RAFVR (1004554).
Phillip Davis was awarded the DFC for service with 431 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1944 spread between 25th February and 12th July 1943 and then once converted to flying the Halifax it resumed between 3rd October 1943 and 7th March 1944. In the weeks in between 24th May 1943 and 3rd July 1943 he spent recovering from a crash involving a battle damaged Wellington return from Ops on 23rd / 24th May 1943.
Wellington HE392 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden. It was received by 23 MU on 12th November 1942 and was taken on charge by 196 Squadron at Leconfield on 8th December 1942. It was then transferred to 431 Squadron at Burn 21st December 1942. As a result of the battle damage sustained on 7th March 1943 minor Cat.A/FB damage would have been the damage assessment which saw it repaired on site. It is not recorded on the aircraft's AM Form 78. On 12th June 1943 it was lost on Ops to Dusseldorf which resulted in it's then crew of five being killed. Cat.Em damage was recorded on the aircraft's paperwork. It was struck off charge on 30th June 1943.
Brian Clark was posted to 425 Squadron by the time he was killed on 5th August 1944 flying in Halifax LL594 attacking a flying bomb site in France. He was twenty three years old and is buried in Dieppe Canadian War Cemetery, France.
The four other members of the 431 Squadron crew listed above all received their commissions and survived the War.