Wellington HE570 collided in air, returned to Leconfield airfield.
On the night of 10th / 11th April 1943 the crew of this 466 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Frankfurt and left Leconfield at 23.33hrs, thick cloud over the target made accurate bombing difficult and the dropped their load from 15,500ft at 02.46hrs but could not see the results. While flying at 12,000ft at 03.15hrs the aircraft collided in the air with an aircraft some fifty miles from the target on the return flight which damaged the starboard tail plane. The rear gunner recorded his memories of this collision which is now held by the IWM and he believed the aircraft they collided with to have been a Junkers Ju88. The Junkers Ju88 crashed while the pilot of the Wellington regained control and returned to base, landing at Leconfield at 06.50hrs.
Pilot - Acting F/Lt Lindsay Blair Renolds RNZAF (NZ.402899).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt George Scott Aitken RAFVR (1147707).
Navigator - Sgt J J O'Brien RAFVR (1336551).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J Morgan RAFVR (1313038).
Air Gunner - F/Sgt Joseph William Camm RAFVR (1452103), of Eastrington, Yorkshire.
Lindsay Renolds was born on 2nd February 1919 in Hawera and enlisted into the RNZAF on 30th August 1940. He first served with 102 Squadron and was seriously injured on 20th September 1941 when Whitley Z6949 crashed on return from Ops at Upper Heyford. He was posted to 466 Squadron not long after its formation and for service with them and while in the rank of Acting F/Lt Renolds was awarded the DFC for service with 466 Squadron, Gazetted on 16th September 1943. The citation for his DFC published in Colin Hanson's "By Such Deeds" and reads.. "Although gravely injured in a crash, which occurred on return from an operational sortie, this officer resumed duty on recovery with determination and enthusiasm and has displayed a high degree of skill and gallantry in attacks on major targets. By his personal example and his work as deputy flight commander
he has made a valuable contribution to the operational efficiency of his squadron." He also served with 1502 Beam Approach Training Flight, 640 Squadron, 76 Squadron and was Commanding Officer of 158 Squadron. After the war he was a pilot with BOAC.
George Aitken received a commission on 21st October 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency), he was later promoted to F/O (war subs) on 1st April 1944 and F/Lt on 21st October 1945. He was also posted to 640 Squadron after 466 Squadron and flew with Renolds. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1946.
Sgt Morgan was also posted to 640 Squadron after his time with 466 Squadron and was part of S/Ldr Renolds' crew. Nothing more about him is known.
Joseph Camm recorded his service memories which are now in the Imperial War Museum. He was born in Eastrington near Hull in 1922 and enlisted into the RAFVR in mid-1941. After completing starting wireless operator training he was switched to air gunnery training and was initially trained at Dalcross before posting to Lossiemouth to crew up. His original pilot was P/O Mason, and his Bomb Aimer Sgt Aitken joined him here. The crew were then posted to 466 Squadron at Leconfield in January 1943. P/O Mason was killed on his first operational flight as a second pilot in Wellington HE164 on 14th/15th February 1943 to Cologne, the aircraft was badly damaged by a night fighter and both pilots were killed. Mason's crew were then crewed with F/Lt Renolds for the rest of the their tour. He referred to the collision on 10th/11th April 1943 and stated both aircraft collided head on, the Junkers Ju88's wing struck the tail of the Wellington which cut off three feet of the tail. Both aircraft fell out of control and while F/Lt regained control of the Wellington and returned to base, sadly the Junkers Ju88 crashed.
He completed a Tour with 466 Squadron and further flights with 640 Squadron (also with Renolds who became B-Flight Commander). After a brief spell as a gunnery instructor he took a posting to fly Lancasters, while training with Lancasters on the night of 3rd / 4th March 1945 he was coming into land at Wigsley when his aircraft was attacked by an enemy aircraft as part of the Luftwaffe's Operation Gisela, the aircraft was badly damaged. Believing the aircraft was going to crash he baled out. His aircraft may have been Lancaster PB118 which crashed near Church Worksop and one of the crew died. William Chorley's Bomber Command Losses book for this aircraft only lists six crew involved - Camm may well be the seventh member of this crew. He completed this training and finished the war with 106 Squadron. After the War he left England for Australia and then served as a police officer with the Jungle Field Force in Malaya between 1955 and 1958.
Wellington HE570 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was delivered to 466 Squadron at Leconfield on 4th February 1943. On 11th April 1943 it sustained Cat.Ac/FB damage as a result of the incident recorded above. The damage was repaired on site by a team from Vickers from Weybridge and on 15th May 1943 it was returned to 466 Squadron charge. On 19th July 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 26 O.T.U. at Wing. The aircraft later appears on charge with 82 O.T.U. at Ossington but no date of transfer given on the AM Form 78. On 19th October 1943 it sustained unspecified Cat.Ac/FA and the damage was repaired on site. On 28th April 1944 the aircraft was transferred to 26 O.T.U. at Wing. On 6th November 1944 the aircraft was transferred to 86 O.T.U. at Gamston. On 9th November 1944 it was flown to 8 M.U. at Little Rissington and on 1st May 1945 at Little Rissington it was declared Cat.Ac damaged. The aircraft was repaired on site by a team from Vickers from Weybridge. On 1st June 1945 it was returned to 8 M.U. charge but on 12th October 1945 whilst at Little Rissington it was declared Cat.B so what was taken by road and repaired by Brooklands Aviation Ltd. at Weybridge. The repair was complete by 18th February 1946. Three days later it was returned to 8 M.U. at Little Rissington. On 12th July 1946 it was flown to 18 M.U. at Dumfries where on 30th December 1948 the aircraft was struck off charge and sold for scrap.