On 4th / 5th April 1943 the crew of this 429 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Kiel and took off from East Moor airfield at 20.43hrs. Because an (as yet) unknown reason the left hand door was torn off the rear turret. The aircraft may also have suffered engine trouble out-bound. The pilot abandoned the flight and returned to base landing at East Moor at 23.30hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Robert Fitzgerald Conroy RCAF (R/55965), of Middle Stewiacke, Colchester County, Nova Scotia.
Navigator - P/O Howard Allen Tennis RCAF (J/16322), of Hardisty, Alberta, Canada.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt George Robert Densmore RCAF (R/104206), of Brookfield, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Wireless Operator - F/Sgt Gordon Arthur Nelson RCAF (R/105521), of St.Paul, Alberta, Canada.
Air Gunner - Sgt James Burns RCAF (R/144158), of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Wellington HE593 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd, at Hawarden and was taken on charge by 23 M.U. at Aldergrove on 9th February 1943. The aircraft was taken on charge by 429 Squadron at East Moor on 14th March 1943. As a result of the damage sustained on 4th April 1943 Cat.A/FB damage resulted and it was repaired on site. On 12th June 1943 it failed to return from an operational flight on Dusseldorf that saw four of the crew killed while one evaded capture (see below for more information). Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork and it was struck off charge on 12th June 1943 having clocked up a total of just over 127 hours flying time.
Robert Conroy was born on 14th April 1921 to William and Bertha Conroy, of Middle Stewiacke, of Colchester County, Nova Scotia and was one of thirteen children. Prior to enlisting into the RCAF he served in the Canadian Army until October 1940 however it was only in May 1941 that his Army discharge went through so his first months in the RCAF were spent in Army uniform. He gained his Wings in December 1942. He survived the crash of Wellington BJ755 at East Moor on 5th March 1943 which cost his navigator Sgt Ernest Bell his life. He and his then crew were shot down in Wellington HE593 on 12th June 1943 on Ops. F/Sgt Conroy evaded capture and later returned to the UK, via Canada! The rest of his crew were sadly killed including George Densmore, James Burns and Gordon Nelson. After arriving back in the UK he returned to operational flying with 429 Squadron. Sadly he lost his life on 24th March 1944 after staying with damaged Halifax LV914 which had been damaged by an enemy aircraft; these actions allowed time for his crew to bale out but seriously injured himself he opted to try and crash-land the aircraft near Merbitz, near Halle, Germany. Whilst his crew became PoW, Conroy died before help could reach him. He was initially buried by locals in the churchyard near the aircraft's crash site and one of these local people kept his identity. After the War the person came forward and Conroy was re-interred in Berlin War Cemetery. A memorial was erected at the crash site in March 2009.
George Densmore was born on 13th February 1920 to Wendell and Blanche Densmore. He was twenty three years old when he died on 12th June 1943 in Wellington HE593. He is buried at Eindhoved General Cemetery, Holland.
James Burns was born on 11th March 1918 to Benjamin and Mary Burns (nee Puhl), of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. He was also killed on 12th June 1943 in Wellington HE593, he was twenty five years old and is also buried in Eindhoven.
F/Sgt Gordon Nelson was twenty years old and is buried in the same location.
P/O Howard Tennis was flying in Wellington HE423 on Ops to Duisburg on 12th / 13th May 1943 when the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed in Holland with the loss of the whole crew. He was twenty five years old and is buried in Amersfoort General Cemetery.
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