Wellington HE589 at East Moor airfield.
On 11th May 1943 this 429 Squadron Wellington sustained damage in a non-operational take off accident at East Moor at 11.43hrs. The details about the incident are vague but it appears that the aircraft lost power in one engine on take off and swung off the runway. It ended up 500 yards off the end of the runway. A police report states it suffered damage to propellers and the nose which also gives the location as being off the western end of the north-east to south-west runway just south of the village of Sutton on the Forest. The incident is recorded in East Moor's station records and simply lists it as being Wellington "-V" of 429 Squadron.
Pilot - Sgt James Edward Pendleton RAFVR (1217783).
Crew - Names unknown.
James Pendleton was born in Halifax in 1921 and had probably married in the Calder district of Yorkshire in 1942. He and his crew arrived at 429 Squadron on 5th March 1943. On 3rd July 1943 they were flying Wellington HE802 which was being used on its first operational flight when soon after taking off the aircraft caught fire in the air so they abandoned the flight and returned to base. He and his crew were later posted to 432 Squadron on 14th August 1943 who were based at Skipton on Swale. Their time with this squadron was sadly only brief as on the night of 30th / 31st August 1943 he and his crew were flying Wellington JA118 on Ops to Monchengladbach with F/Sgt Jensky RCAF as a second pilot when they failed to return. They were initially buried locally but are now buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
Wellington HE589 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was flown to 23 MU at Aldergrove on 9th February 1943. On 12th March 1943 the aircraft was taken on charge by 424 Squadron at Topcliffe and it then transferred to 429 Squadron at East Moor on 18th April 1943. As a result of the crash off the airfield at East Moor on 11th May 1943 Cat.B/FA damage was the assessment. The aircraft was dismantled and transported by road to Brooklands Aviation Ltd. at Sywell for a repair in works. The aircraft was ready for collection on 14th August 1943. On 30th August 1943 it was flown to 23 MU at Aldergrove and on 14th September 1943 it was taken on charge by 83 OTU at Childs Ercall. On 19th May 1944 it was declared beyond repair Cat.E1 during an inspection. The aircraft languished until 17th October 1944 when it was finally struck off charge.