Wellington HE393 at Leconfield airfield.
During the evening of 6th February 1943 the crew of this 466 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying a mine laying operational flight to the area off Brest on what was the pilot's first operational flight as captain. They took off from Leconfield at 16.37hrs but were unable to locate the area where the mines were to be laid so turned for home and brought two mines back with them. At 23.34hrs the aircraft made a landing at Leconfield but just before touching down the pilot noticed that the aircraft was slightly drifting to port. He applied more power to the port engine to correct the drift and then landed but some distance up the runway. Unfortunately the pilot could not then stop the aircraft on the remaining runway and it ran off onto soft ground partly due to the extra weight in the mines it was still carrying. Beyond this overshoot area there were two large, felled tree trunks in its path and when the undercarriage struck these it collapsed. A fire immediately broke out and while the crew escaped serious injury, the fire could not be put out before it took hold and the mines still in the aircraft later exploded. The aircraft was clearly destroyed.
Wellington HE393 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in November 1942. It was received by 23 MU on 12th November 1943 and was taken on charge by 466 Squadron at Leconfield on 6th December 1942. As a result of the crash on 6th February 1943 the damage assessment was damaged as being Cat.E2/FB Burnt and the aircraft was written off. It was struck off charge on 14th February 1943.
Pilot - Sgt James Bruce Murdoch RNZAF (NZ.414326).
Navigator - Sgt Murray Stephen Roberts RNZAF (NZ.41940).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Peter Alan Taylor RAFVR (1190808).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt David Winston Williams RAF (553822).
Air Gunner - Sgt John Gilbert Morgan RNZAF (NZ.41993).
John Morgan was the son of Gilbert and Sarah Ann Morgan, of Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand and was the husband of Carmen Morgan, of Beverly Hills, California, U.S.A. He was twenty three years old.
David Williams was born on 19th March 1923 and the son of David and Elizabeth Williams, of Ammanford, Wales.
Peter Taylor was born on 27th August 1922. He would receive a commission on 15th May 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (147908) and was later promoted to F/O (war subs) on 15th November 1943. F/O Taylor was killed on 13th August 1944 while serving with 156 PFF Squadron flying Ops to Russelsheim in Lancaster ND444. He was twenty one years old and is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. He was flying as a second navigator for this flight.
Sgt Williams and Sgt Morgan were killed on 10th April 1943 when Wellington HE506 failed to return from Ops to Frankfurt, nothing was ever found of the aircraft. Both men are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Roberts survived Wellington LN404 crashing near Leconfield on 11th March 1943 on return from a training flight. He was awarded the DFC later in 1944 for service with 640 Squadron.
James Murdoch was born on 27th November 1918 at Invergargill, New Zealand and enlisted for RNZAF service in July 1941, after training in New Zealand he was posted to UK in early 1942. He was posted to 466 Squadron during November 1942 and then to 196 Squadron at Leconfield on 26th April 1943. Three days later he was piloting a Wellington that made a heavy landing and the tail wheel was torn off. He received a commission in October 1944 and with war over he relinquished his commisison in June 1947. He later qualified for his Royal Aero Club certificate in February 1948. I thank Steve Smith for additional information relating to him.