Wellington HE681 damaged by flak, returned to Croft airfield.
On the night of 28th / 29th April 1943 this aircraft was one belonging to 427 Squadron that was used on an operational mine laying flight to the waters around the Frisian Islands. This crew set out from Croft airfield at around 20.45hrs but could not pinpoint the dropping point so jettisoned the mine. The aircraft sustained flak damage to the fuselage of the aircraft but despite the damage the crew made a safe return to base landing at Croft at 02.03hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Malcolm Barnes Summers RCAF (R/128658).
Navigator - P/O John Joseph Beaton RCAF (J/22490).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Glyndwr Davies RAFVR (1382127).
Bomb Aimer - F/Sgt James Wilde RCAF (R/56444).
Air Gunner - Sgt Peter Edward Newland RAF (639243).
Malcolm Summers had been briefly interned in Ireland in early March 1943 when Wellington X3563 got completely lost on return from Ops to St.Nazaire. The 427 Squadron aircraft, in which he was flying as second pilot, was abandoned over County Roscommon, Ireland.
All of the above later converted to fly the Lancaster and were posted to 426 Squadron. On 7th / 8th October 1043 they were flying Lancaster DS689 on Ops to Stuttgart when the aircraft went on to crash in France. F/O Beaton survived and became a PoW but the others listed above were all killed and are buried Rachecourt-sur-Blaise, France. P/O Barnes was still just twenty years old, P/O Newland was 22 and P/O Davies was 27.
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.