Wellington HF544 damaged by flak, returned to Leconfield airfield.
This 466 Squadron aircraft took off from Leconfield at 23.05hrs on 24th June 1943 to undertake an operational flight to bomb Wuppertal. The crew released their bombs over the target area from 16,000ft at 01.28hrs but the aircraft was hit by flak around the same time sustaining damage to the rear turret and an auxilliary oil tank. The crew were able to make the safe return to base and landed at Leconfield at 04.59hrs on 25th June 1943. The aircraft was patched up on site at Leconfield that day and sadly lost with the same crew as detailed below the following night on Ops to Gelsenkirchen. It crashed off Holland with the bodies of all except the navigator never being found. The crew had only been posted to 466 Squadron earlier in the month.
Pilot - WO Andrew Basil Reginald Airy RAAF (406634), aged 26, of Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Bomb Aimer - Sgt George Charles Green RAFVR (1255176), aged 20, of Greenhithe, Kent.
Navigator - F/O William Eric Riley RAAF (414960), aged 25, of Greenslopes, Queensland, Australia.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Thomas Martin Atkinson RAFVR (266030).
Air Gunner - Sgt George Ronald Johnson RAFVF (1434337), aged 20, of Ashton-under-Lyme, Lancashire.
Andrew Airey was the son of William John and Ettie Muriel Airy and was born on 23rd February 1917 in Perth, Western Australia. He enlisted into the RAAF on 3rd March 1941 in Perth where he was living and working at the time. After basic training he arrived in the UK and after further training was posted to 97 Squadron in July 1942. He was later posted to 407 Squadron in early November 1942 and 467 Squadron a week later. He initially arrived at 466 Squadron in February 1943 but was posted to 20 OTU in March returning to 466 Squadron in early June 1943.
William Riley was born on 7th September 1917 in Brisbane and was the son of Charles William and Grace Muriel Riley. He was working as a jackeroo when he enlisted into the RAAF on 6th December 1941 in Brisbane and was living in Warra at the time. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on 9th October 1942 and was later promoted to F/O on 9th April 1943. After basic training he arrived in the UK in November 1942 and trained at 20 OTU from 16th March 1943 to 6th June 1943. He was then posted to 466 Squadron on 7th June 1943. Following his death on 16th June 1943 his body was washed ashore and he is buried in Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, Holland.