Wellington LN409 damaged by flak, returned to Burn airfield.
On the night of 27th / 28th May 1943 the crew of this 431 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Essen when the aircraft sustained minor flak damage, the crew returned to base safely and landed at Burn airfield at 03.55hrs. The 431 Squadron records state that the aircraft's identity was Wellington "HE409" however this serial did not exist. Wellington LN409 was a 431 Squadron aircraft having arrived a few days earlier.
Pilot - P/O William Dunsmore Eaglesham RAFVR (148443).
Navigator - Sgt Henry Tudor McAusland RAFVR (147496).
Bomb Aimer - F/O Lewis Charles Long RAFVR (126471).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Joseph Howard Burrow RAFVR (147470).
Air Gunner - Sgt Bernard Hamilton Stephenson RAFVR (1190561).
All of the above were flying 431 Squadron Wellington HE184 on 12th June 1943 when the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Dusseldorf. The aircraft crashed into the North Sea and the bodies of three of the crew later were found and buried. The two other members of the crew have no known grave and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt Stephenson is buried in Oostende New Communal Cemetery (photo Ade Harris), P/O Eaglesham is buried in Flushing Northern Cemetery, while F/O Long is buried in Blankenberge Towan Cemetery.
Lewis Long received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 22nd May 1943.
William Eaglesham received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 28th July 1942 and rose to F/O on 28th January 1943.
Henry McAusland's older brother was killed in 1917 while serving with the 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters during the First World War.
Wellington LN409 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong’s Ltd. at Hawarden and was flown to 45 M.U. at Kinloss on 30th December 1942. The aircraft was initially taken on charge by 425 Squadron on 3rd April 1943 at Dishforth and was then transferred to 431 Squadron at Burn on 22nd May 1943. As a result of battle damage sustained on 28th May 1943 Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site. On 17th July 1943 the aircraft was transferred to 17 O.T.U. at Silverstone and on 4th October 1943 it was transferred to 84 O.T.U. at Desborough. The aircraft was deemed in need of modications on 23rd December 1943 so was flown to 13 M.U. at Henlow then to be carried out. On 9th February 1944 the aircraft was returned to 84 O.T.U. charge. On 28th March 1944 the aircraft was transferred to 12 O.T.U. at Chipping Warden. On an unspecified date it was flown to 18 MU at Dumfries and on 28th June 1944 it was flown to 48 M.U. at Hawarden. On 25th August 1944 the aircraft was deemed in need of a repair on site by a team from Vickers at Weybridge and with that complete it was returned to 48 M.U. charge on 16th September 1944. On 24th September 1944 the aircraft was taken on charge by 12 O.T.U. at Chipping Warden, it was then allocated to 86 O.T.U. at Gamston on 29th October 1944 but this unit had already disbanded on 15th October 1944. On 6th November 1944 it was then flown to 8 M.U. at Little Rissington where it was stored until 10th April 1945 when it was struck off charge.