Wellington HE681 at Croft airfield.
On the night of 14th / 15th April 1943 this 427 Squadron aircraft was to have been one used on an operational flight to bomb Stuttgart but when it was being prepared at Croft earlier in the day it taxied into a fuel bowser and was slightly damaged. The damage prevented it being used that night but the 427 Squadron. Seventy minutes after this incident a second similar incident happened at Croft.
Pilot - Name unknown.
Wellington HE681 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Hawarden and was flown to 8 M.U. at Little Rissington on 1st March 1943. The aircraft was first taken on charge by 420 Squadron at Middleton St.George on 14th March 1943 but was immediately transferred to 427 Squadron at Croft. As a result of a minor mishap there on 14th April 1943 Cat.A/FA damage resulted, it was swiftly repaired on site. On 29th April 1943 it sustained flak damage to the fuselage on a mine laying operational flight to the Frisian Islands. Cat.Ac/FB damage was the damage assessment and a repair on site was begun on 1st May 1943 by a team from Vickers at Weybridge. On 4th May 1943 427 Squadron moved to Leeming but the aircraft was not returned to their charge until 29th May 1943 when it was flown from Croft after the repair was complete. On 24th June 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 18 O.T.U. at Finningley. On 1st August 1943 it lost it's dinghy in flight and sustained minor Cat.A/FA damage. The repair was started on 28th August 1943 by a team from Vickers at Weybridge. Once ready it was returned to 18 O.T.U. charge. On 22nd December 1943 an engine cut out on a training flight over the Irish Sea, the aircraft crashed in a forced landing four miles from Douglas, Isle of Man. Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment and on 1st January 1944 the aircraft was struck off charge having clocked up a total of 382 hours flying time.