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No. 12 Operational Training Unit, Chipping Warden. While flying night circuits and landings with a Canadian instructor pilot, their aircraft, Wellington BJ622, JP-R, crashed just after half-past midnight, on the night of 11/12th of July.

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”12/07/1944: Wellington III, serial no. BJ622 of 12 OTU belly landed at Chipping Warden. Sgt J C Ridley RCAF and crew were unhurt.”

This is the Airfix 1959 tool, 1/72 04001 with:

Etch – none

Additional parts – none

Paints – Humbrol, Vallejo Panzer Aces and Vallejo Model Color acrylics by brush

Decals – Xtradecal, E. D. Models, Airfix

 

Edited by Ratch
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On 1/21/2020 at 8:10 AM, Putty Animal said:

At first glance I thought the first shot was real and mistook the stand for a distant searchlight.

Yes, me too!

It has the slightly blurred look of contemporary film footage, which completely fooled me!

Your model really does look the part.  Congratulations!

:goodjob:

 

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Thanks all. here's another:

 

Date:  8 Jul 1943
Unit:  17 OTU
Type:  Wellington III
Serial No.:  X3934
Operation:  Training
Take Off:  RAF Silverstone
Crew:
F/O G Chambers killed
Sgt F E Harrison killed
P/O J A Jackson killed
Sgt I G Jones killed
Description:  Took off at 15:47 from RAF Silverstone but stalled three minutes later and crashed and burnt.
Court of Inquiry:  Cause apparently due to stalling.  No mechanical evidence can be observed with wreckage in present position.  This was the unit’s first major accident since giving up its Blenheims in favour of Wellingtons.


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My final Wimpey is BK157, FQ-A of No. 12 Operational Training Unit, RAF Chipping Warden

 

Shortly before 1100 on 31st May 1944 a Vickers Wellington bomber plunged into the ground with the loss of seven aircrew. The aircraft that came to grief that day, serial no BK157, was from 12 Operational Training unit, one of many units formed, in April 1940, to train aircrews for Bomber Command. In July 1941 the unit moved to RAF Chipping Warden, which was to become its permanent home for the rest of the war. By July 1943 12 OTU had re-equipped with Wellington MkIII's withdrawn from front line service. 
One of the pilots who had been posted to Chipping Warden was Flying Officer Donald Arthur Driver. Although only 20 years old he had already completed a tour of duty with 104 squadron and been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. The squadron had been operating in the Western desert flying Wellington MkIIs, moving west behind the advancing armies. At the end of 1943 the squadron moved into Southern Italy from where it carried out raids on the Balkans and Northern Italy. He was awarded the DFM on the 9th July 1943, whilst a Sergeant pilot. His citation reads:

Quote

This NCO pilot has flown 43 bombing operations including targets in Sicily and Tunisia. Throughout, he has shown great determination and zeal in bombing targets and, on four separate occasions, has descended to ground level to attack searchlights batteries and concentrations of motor transport and troops. On one occasion during an attack on Tunis docks, despite heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire, Sergeant Driver pressed home his attack with such effectiveness as to score a direct hit on an enemy tanker. Special tasks have been consistently given to Sergeant Driver who has always carried them out with a daring mixed with good judgement which has ensured their complete success. He has proved himself to be an inspiring and competent bomber captain.


At 1005 on the 31st May 1944 Flying Officer Driver took off from RAF Chipping Warden in Wellington MkIII serial no BK157 to carry out a fighter affiliation exercise. This sortie involved trainee air gunners firing with cine-camera guns at an attacking fighter whilst supervised by experienced or "screened" gunners during which the pilot would carry out evasive manoeuvres to simulate real combat conditions. They were to rendezvous with a Hawker Hurricane from 12 OTU target and gunnery flight based at RAF Edgehill.  At about 1045 the pilot put the aircraft into an evasive diving turn. This would seem to have been too much for the war weary aircraft, it had flown 677.45 hours since being taken on charge in December 1942 and caused the port wing to collapse. The wing landed in the Mill Field in Lower Tadmarton whilst the rest of the Wellington, leaving a mile-long wreckage trail, narrowly missing cottages that were opposite Brookfields, plunged into the ground and burst into flames killing all aboard. The crash site was littered with wreckage and body parts, a harrowing scene witnessed by several children.

 

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Edited by Ratch
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