Wellington X3399 damaged by flak, returned to East Moor airfield.
On the night of 12th / 13th March 1943 this 429 Squadron aircraft was being flown on an operational flight to bomb Essen when it was slightly damaged by flak while flying at 14,000ft, the crew brought the aircraft safely back to the UK and landed at base of East Moor at 00.39hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Gordon Lindsay Kennedy RNZAF (430914).
Navigator - Sgt Adam Carter Hay McConnell-Jones RAFVR (1550829).
Bomb Aimer - Sgt James Begg RAFVR (1436510).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Douglas Frank Walker RAFVR (1212975).
Air Gunner - Sgt Douglas William Chard RAFVR (1389199).
Sgt Begg was posted to 405 Squadron in September 1943 but returned to 429 Squadron a couple of months later. He was still serving with them on 29th January 1944 when Halifax LK746 was shot down over Berlin with only two surviving. He was sadly not one of the two survivors and is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
Gordon Kennedy was awarded the DFC for service with 429 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th September 1943.
Douglas Walker received a commission to P/O on probation (emergency) on 16th October 1943 (160512) and was promoted to F/O on 16th April 1944 and F/Lt on 16th October 1945.
Douglas Chard was awarded the DFM for service with 429 Squadron, Gazetted on 7th December 1943.
Adam McConnell-Jones received a commission to P/O on probation (emergency) on 20th May 1943 (149143) and was promoted to F/O on 20th November 1943. He was flying with 1655 MTU on 22nd July 1944 when the Mosquito DK300 crashed on a training flight near Pidney, Huntingdon. He and his pilot were killed and he is buried at Cambridge City Cemetery.
Wellington X3399 was built to contract B92439/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd at their Squires Gate, Blackpool factory. It was received by 51 MU on 20th October 1941 and was placed in MU storage, passing between 51 MU, 48 MU, 9 MU and returning to 48 MU all in February 1942. It was taken on charge by 429 Squadron at East Moor on 5th December 1942 a month after the unit formed. It suffered Cat.A/FA damage in a taxying accident at East Moor on 4th January 1943 which saw it repaired on site and returned to 429 Squadron on 30th January 1943. It continued to be used by 429 Squadron carrying out eight operational flights with them. It sustained minor flak damage on the night of 12th / 13th March 1943 and the Cat.Ac/FB damage was repaired on site at East Moor. Once repaired again it returned to 429 Squadron on 22nd May 1943. It next appears being taken on charge by 26 O.T.U. at Wing on 8th June 1943. It sustained minor damage in a flying accident on 26th July 1943 and was repaired on site. Or or around 23rd March 1944 it sustained more serious Cat.B damage in another incident that required a possible repair in works. Once repaired it was flown to 48 MU on 23rd September 1944 and was then taken on charge by 3 A.G.S. at Castle Kennedy in on 12th March 1945 and served with the unit until it disbanded in June 1945. The aircraft was flown to 48 MU on 18th June 1945 and then placed in long term MU storage. It was eventually struck off charge on 31st July 1947.