Wellington LN435 damaged by flak, returned to Skipton on Swale airfield.
On the night of 27th / 28th May 1943 the crew of this 432 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Essen when the aircraft sustained minor flak damage. Having taken off at 22.55hrs the crew returned to base safely and landed at 04.08hrs at Skipton on Swale airfield having bombed the target through thick cloud cover.
Pilot - Sgt Neil Goldie RAFVR (1216316).
Navigator - Sgt George Liddle RAFVR (1390957).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt Frank William Noel Trowbridge RAFVR (658650).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Charles Kingston Killick RAFVR (1331007).
Air Gunner - Sgt William Albert Sparrow RCAF (R/80605).
All of the above died on 25th June 1943 when Wellington HF572 crashed in Holland while undertaking an operational flight to Wuppertal. They were initially buried locally to the crash site but are now buried in Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery, Belgium.
Wellington LN435 was built to contract B.124362/40 by Vickers Armstrong’s Ltd. at Hawarden and was received by 18 MU at Dumfries on 11th February 1943. The aircraft was then taken on charge by 427 Squadron at Croft on 24th March 1943 but was transferred to 432 Squadron at Skipton on Swale on 2nd May 1943. The aircraft received minor battle damage on 28th May 1943 that saw a Cat.A/FB damage assessment and a swift repair on site. Just hours later the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Wuppertal on 30th May 1943 and unfortunately two of the then crew were killed. Cat.E(m) damage was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was struck off charge on 4th June 1943.