Wellington HZ354 damaged by flak, returned to East Moor airfield.
On the night of 22nd / 23rd June 1943 this 429 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Mulheim but the port wing of the aircraft was slightly damaged by flak. The crew were able to make a safe to England and are believed to have landed at base of East Moor at 04.17hrs.
Pilot - F/Sgt Thomas Sidney Heyes RAF (655460).
Navigator - Sgt Alan Lewis RAFVR (1139604).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Thomas Edward Banks RAFVR (1314150).
Wireless Operator - Sgt Ronald Arthur Impey RAFVR (1271666).
Air Gunner - Sgt C E Monty RCAF (R/112696)
Thomas Heyes was posted from 429 Squadron to 22 OTU on 12th July 1943 to instruct but died on 7th August 1943 when Wellington HF612 crashed on a training flight near Wellesbourne. He was twenty nine years old and is buried at Philips Park Cemetery, Manchester. He was awarded the DFM for service with 429 Squadron but the notification was printed in the London Gazette after his death on 10th September 1943.
Alan Lewis received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 28th February 1944 (1727576). He does not appear to have been promoted to F/O nor killed so what happened to him is unclear.
Ronald Impey received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 8th September 1943 (158799), he was promoted to F/O on 8th March 1944 and F/Lt on 8th September 1945. Postwar he remained in the RAF at least until 1950 when he transferred to the Reserve.
Thomas Banks received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 17th November 1944 (188135) and was promoted to F/O on 17th May 1945. He remained in the RAF until 26th September 1958.