Wellington HZ271 damaged by flak, landed at Catfoss airfield.
On the evening of 12th March 1943 the crew of this 466 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Essen and left Leconfield at 19.32hrs. The crew bombed the target area at 21.35hrs but the aircraft was hit by flak which injured the wireless operator in the shoulder. The pilot brought the aircraft safely to Yorkshire and they landed at Catfoss at 23.56hrs on one engine and the injured airman was admitted to hospital.
Pilot - Sgt Colin Foley Tozer RAAF (406585).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Harold Ernest Jones RAFVR (1375844)..
Navigator - F/Sgt Gordon Kenneth Young RCAF (R/90189).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt R Treacher RNZAF (412910). Injured in shoulder.
Air Gunner - Sgt George Errington RAFVR (1531620).
With Sgt Treacher out injured his place as wireless operator was taken by another airman in P/O Tozer's crew. On the night of 16th / 17th April 1943 they were flying Wellington HE501 on Ops to Mannheim which failed to return. Tozer had flown fourteen operational flights by this date. All of the crew were killed and are buried at Seraincourt Churchyard, Ardennes, France. Colin Tozer was twenty one years old. Gordon Young was born on 14th December 1920, he was twenty three years old and was promoted to WO2 after his death. Sgt Jones was twenty one years old and Sgt Errington was just twenty.
Colin Foley was born 10th September 1921 in Subiaco, Western Australia and enlisted in Perth on 3rd February 1941. After basic training and gaining his Wings on arriving in the UK he trained at 14 AFU (begining 9th March 1942), 1518 BAT Flt (begining 25th April 1942), 14 (P)AFU (begining 5th May 1942), 13 OTU (begining 23rd June 1942) and 14 OTU (begining 25th August 1942) before posting to 466 Squadron on 28th November 1942. He flew his first operational flight as a second pilot with a 10 Squadron crew on 10th December 1942 and as a result was the first Australian 466 Squadron pilot to fly an operational flight. On 5th March 1943 all of the above were lucky when their aircraft collided with another Wellington on Ops, Sgt Tozer was able to bring the damaged aircraft back to base. Colin Tozer received his commission to P/O on 15th March 1943.
Sgt Treacher was injured in the shoulder by shrapnel in this incident, he was posted as "non-effective sick" to SHQ Driffield by the end of March 1943. As it stood, his injury undoubtably saved his life in the long term with the rest of his crew being killed days later. After this date nothing more is known about him.
Wellington HZ271 was built to contract B.92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd. at Squires Gate and was awaiting collection in January 1943. It was taken on charge by 466 Squadron at Leconfield on 25th February 1943. As a result of the damage sustained on 12th March 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site. The incident is not recorded on it's AM Form 78. It was returned to 466 Squadron use. On 14th May 1943 it was abandoned on return from an operational flight to Bochum and crashed near Winterton, Lincolnshire. It's then crew survived. Cat.E2/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was written off.