Wellington HE594 damaged by flak, returned to Topcliffe airfield.
This 424 Squadron aircraft took off from Topcliffe airfield at 19.21hrs on 26th March 1943 to undertake an operational flight to bomb Duisburg. The target area was blanketed in thick cloud but the crew of this aircraft bombed the PFF target markers at 21.52hrs from 15,000ft though they could not see their bombing results. The aircraft received minor light flak damage to one of the bomb doors but the crew were able to make a safe return to Topcliffe where they landed safely at 01.05hrs on 27th March 1943.
Pilot - Sgt William Dove RAFVR (1219582).
Navigator - P/O H M Brown.
Bomb Aimer - P/O Robert Geoffrey Crouch RAFVR (130507).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Waldo Osbourne Simpson RAFVR (1272597).
Air Gunner - Sgt Walter William Tucker RCAF (R/126957).
Wellington HE594 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was awaiting collection in February 1943. Almost immediately it flown to 23 M.U. on 9th February 1943 and was then taken on charge by 424 Squadron at Topcliffe on 12th March 1943. As a result of sustaining flak damage on 27th March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. The aircraft was transferred to 305 Squadron at Hemswell when the unit commenced operating with the type on 6th May 1943. On 10th June 1943 to crashed when an engine cut on approach to land at Hemswell. Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment and it was written off.
On 2nd May 1943 this crew were carrying out a training flight in Wellington HE692 but crashed in North Wales. Sadly P/O Crouch and Sgt's Dove and Simpson were killed.
Sgt William Dove was twenty two years old and is buried in Melbourne Cemetery, Derbyshire.
F/O Crouch was twenty three years old and is buried in Chorleywood Road, Rickmansworth. Hertfordshire. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on
Sgt Waldo Simpson was twenty one years old and is buried in Pwllheli Borough Cemetery, Wales.
Walter Tucker was born in 1923 in Greencastle, Indiana, USA and was living there when he enlisted into the RCAF in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in September 1941. He was injured in the crash in Wales in May 1943 but as 424 Squadron had moved to North Africa in the period that he was in hospital and recovering. When he fit he was posted to Topcliffe and joined 429 Squadron towards the end of June 1943 and then joined 429 Squadron who had moved in. For service with 429 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 6th June 1944. Hugh Halliday has located the recommendation for his DFC from March 1944 which states that he had flown thirty operational flights between 4th February 1943 to 6th March 1944. This recommendation reads.."Pilot Officer Tucker has taken part in thirty operations against the enemy, many of them against the most heavily defended areas of Germany, including Berlin, Essen, Hamburg, and Hannover. His keenness and ability as a Rear Gunner have contributed in a large measure to the safety of his crew and his cheerful devotion to duty have been an inspiration to his crew members and to the squadron." After his time with 429 Squadron he was posted to 22 OTU probably to instruct.