Wellington HZ272 damaged by flak, returned to Topcliffe airfield.
This 424 Squadron aircraft took off from Topcliffe at 19.33hrs on 12th March 1943 to undertake an operational flight to bomb Essen. The crew bombed the target area from 17,000ft at 21.37hrs in clear visibility. While over mainland Europe the aircraft was fired upon by anti-aircraft guns and was slightly damaged by flak bursts in the fuselage and one of the wings. The pilot made a safe landing at Topcliffe at 00.39hrs on 13th March 1943. The aircraft was later repaired and issued to 432 Squadron when it formed.
Pilot - Sgt Donald George Frederick Parker RCAF (R/113939).
Navigator - F/O Albert Hooper Brook RAFVR (127062).
Bomb Aimer - P/O Douglas Hackett RCAF (J/22541).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Norman Daniel MacDonald RCAF.
Air Gunner - Sgt M G Anderson.
Douglas Hackett was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1920 and enlisted into the RCAF in May 1941 in Ottawa. He was awarded the DFC for service with 424 Squadron, Gazetted on 1st October 1943. He was later posted to 405 Squadron PFF and was sadly killed on 30th January 1944 when Lancaster ND462 failed to return from Ops to Berlin. He is buried in Berlin War Cemetery and was twenty three years old.
Wellington HZ272 was built to contract B.92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd, at Squires Gate and was awaiting collection in January 1943. The aircraft was initially allotted to 426 Squadron at Dishforth on 25th February 1943 but this appears never taken up. In February 1943 the aircraft was taken on charge by 424 Squadron at Topcliffe but the aircraft's AM Form 78 does not mention this. Perhaps the AM Form 78 incorrectly states 426 Squadron and it should read 424 Squadron. On 13th March 1943 and then on 9th April 1943 it sustained minor flak damage which resulted in Cat.A/FB damage assessments and a repair on site at Topcliffe being carried out each time. On 18th April 1943 it was transferred to 427 Squadron at Croft. On 2nd May 1943 it was transferred to 432 Squadron at Skipton on Swale. On 24th May 1943 it was damaged by flak which would have resulted in Cat.A/FB damage and a repair on site was made by a team from Vickers at Weybridge. It was returned to 432 Squadron on 26th June 1943. On 5th August 1943 it was transferred to 82 O.T.U. at Ossington. On 17th June 1944 it was taken on charge by 86 O.T.U and received Cat.B damage in mid-October 1944. In March 1945 it was taken on charge by 10 A.G.S. at Walney Island but on 19th May 1945 it hit a sand dune on approach to land at Walney Island causing the undercarriage to collapse on touch down. The aircraft was deemed beyond repair and written off with Cat.E2/FA damage being the damage assessment. It was struck off charge on 28th May 1945.
Albert Brook received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 17th July 1942 and was promoted under the usual intervals to F/O on 17th January 1943 and F/Lt on 17th July 1944. After the war he may have left the RAF because there is no mention of him until 1951 when he was appointed to a permanent commission as F/Lt on 1st February 1951 (with seniority of 30th June 1950). He finally retired from the RAF on 11th April 1977 having been in the rank of S/Ldr since 1st January 1973.
Donald Parker was awarded the DFM for service with 424 Squadron, Gazetted on 1st October 1943. He then received a commission and by May 1944 he was instructing at 22 OTU (where other former 424 Squadron pilots also appear to have been instructing around this same time). On 26th May 1944 he was flying Martinet JN428 on a training flight when the aircraft dived into the ground out of control near Wellesbourne and he was sadly killed. He was twenty two years old and is buried at Stratford on Avon Cemetery, Warwickshire.
Norman MacDonald was originally in the Royal Canadian Artillery but enlisted into the RCAF in May 1941. He flew two operational Tours with 424 Squadron (beginning 1st January 1943 and ending 18th November 1943 and later a third tour with 640 Squadron in late 1944 / early 1945 joing the Povey crew. Having flown at least sixty two operational flights in total he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 16th November 1945.