What do we know about the Wellington MkII?

[Heather Kay]

I'm beginning background research on the Wellington MkII, the slightly lesser known Merlin-powered version of the twin-engined bomber. I have the Airfix kit, ready to move on to the workbench. I'm looking forward to it, having previously built the MkI kit.

 

My problem is that references for MkIIs in squadron service in my 1940 interest bubble seem few and far between. Those pictures I can find tend to be a bit later in the war, or of things like the mine-sweeper thing with huge degaussing ring, or like the high altitude or 40mm cannon experimental aircraft.

 

Now, the Warpaint book on the Wellington does have a list of squadrons that operated Wimpeys, and has example serials and squadron codes for various versions including the MkII. It would be useful to pin down photos if I can, but I suppose I could just do a generic bomber camouflage and markings scheme if I have to.

 

So, do you have anything that might aid my research? I'm thinking links to images of MkII aircraft during 1940 or early 1941, or other material that will help me pin down a specific aircraft I can model.

 

All input gratefully received, thanks!

[Ossington 2]

The Poles used them. Try 300 Sqn onwards.

[Paul Lucas]

The Wellington Mk II entered service on 10 November 1940 when W5353 and W5354 were delivered to 12 Squadron and W5355 and W5356 were delivered to 142 Squadron.

 

I couldn't find a photo of any of these aircraft when I wrote my 'Battle for Britain' book 25 years ago which is why there were no Wellington Mk.IIs illustrated within it.

 

There are no code and serial tie-ups in the ORB of either Squadron for the period November 1940 to January 1941.

 

The closest I could come in the time that I spent on this today is W5358 coded PH-B of 12 Squadron from 'Bomber Squadrons of the RAF' though no date is given and there is no photo.

 

Given the proximity of W5358 to those known to have been delivered to the only two Squadrons to have received the type in 1940, it seems likely that W5358 was received by 12 Squadron not too long after the first two Wellingtons.

[Scott Hemsley]

Granted photo coverage of the Mk.II are few and far between compared to the other versions, but they do exist.  One thing to remember though, not all Mk.II's had the waist positions (usually assoc. with the Mk.III) and while the kit provided insert is generally a good fit, it does require some filling along with some careful sanding to maintain that fabric-covered surface.

 

Also in addition to the Polish squadron mentioned by Ossington 2 and the two RAF squadrons mentioned by Paul Lucas, the RCAF used them as well with 405 Sqn. (LQ codes), May 41 - Apr.  42.

 

Scott

Edited May 8 by Scott Hemsley

[Heather Kay]

Cheers  chaps!

 

It does look like I will end up doing a generic period scheme with markings made up to suit. It won't be the first time I've done that!

[Finn]

A few photos here:

 

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-warplanes-3-vickers-wellington

 

and try here as well:

 

https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/

 

just search Wellington MkII. Here is one example:

 

 

Jari

[Heather Kay]

16 minutes ago, Finn said:

A few photos here:

 

Thank you! That is helpful.

 

It does seem quite a few MkIIs were operated in North Africa and around the Mediterranean from 1941. As my particular interest is 1940, I would prefer references for UK-based aircraft. That said, camouflage and markings in 1941 weren't all that different to November 1940.  

 

EDIT: I found a suitable prototype image, on the IBCC archive site. It's a 104 Squadron MkII, with serial and codes clearly visible. I'll go with that. Thanks Finn!

[Scott Hemsley]

FWIW, 405 Sqn. was attached to 4 Grp during 1941-42, based in  Driffield, Pocklington & Topcliffe, Yorks.

 

Scott

[Paul Lucas]

I specifically cited 12 and 142 Squadrons because they were the only Squadrons to receive the Wellington Mk II during 1940. If the period of interest were to be extended into 1941, then the range of possibilities increases somewhat.

 

If a generic period scheme for 1940 is acceptable, then I suggest that W5358 PH-B would be the one to go for, basing the model on the photo of W5379 that appears on page 9 of the 'Warpaint', but applying the 'A' Scheme to the upper surfaces in place of the 'B' Scheme seen on W5379 in the photo.

 

Note that the artwork on page 11 of the Warpaint that shows the 'A' and 'B' Schemes has them labelled the wrong way around. That labelled as the 'A' Scheme is actually the 'B' Scheme and vice versa.

 

Dark Earth, Dark Green and Special Night camouflage with a Red serial number and Medium Sea Grey codes. 

[georgeusa]

Found this

Don't know if this will help.

[Heather Kay]

Just now, georgeusa said:

Don't know if this will help.

I believe that’s the prototype MkII. All grist to the mill, as they say.

[Paul Lucas]

A bit more information now I have taken a bit more time to think about it.

 

W5358 'B' was allocated to 37 MU on 29/10/40. It was allocated to 12 Squadron on 29/11/40.

 

A better option would probably be W5361 'C' that was allocated to 51 MU on 15/11/40. It was then allocated to 12 Squadron on 7/12/40. This aircraft then remained on the Squadron until it failed to return from the first 1,000 Bomber Raid on Cologne during the night of 30/31 May 1942. 

 

There is a photo of W5361 coded 'PH-C' in 'Bomber Squadrons' and in general terms it looks to have the same general colour scheme as W5379 in the Warpaint with a 'B' Scheme and retaining the large National marking III on the fuselage in the standard identification colours. 

 

The only real problem is that we don't know for certain whether W5361 was coded 'P' in 1940. Unless somebody knows better, I think that this is as close as it will be possible to get to a Wellington Mk II in squadron service during 1940.

[AndyL]

142 Squadron 

 

W5359 was QT-B

W5377 was OT-M

 

I have photos of both of these aircraft that came via a family who had a relative lost on 142 in early 1942.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited May 8 by AndyL

[vildebeest]

Photo of W5461 of 104 Squadron - EP-R on page 48 of RAF Bomber Command and its Aircraft, vol 2.

 

Paul

[DDGboy]

7 hours ago, vildebeest said:

Photo of W5461 of 104 Squadron - EP-R on page 48 of RAF Bomber Command and its Aircraft, vol 2.

 

Paul

 

Revell included that airframe in their repop of the MPM kit - https://www.super-hobby.com/products/Vickers-Wellington-Mk.II.html

[Paul Lucas]

It looks like we have a winner.

W5359 QT-B to 44 MU 4/11/40. To 142 Squadron 30/11/40. 

 

Of the others mentioned,

W5377 QT-M to 12 MU 10/12/40. To 142 Squadron 9/1/41.

 

W5461 EP-R to 33 MU 23/3/41. To 104 Squadron 17/7/41. SOC 1/9/41.

Edited May 9 by Paul Lucas

[Heather Kay]

Thank you, everyone, for your input. As Paul has summed up, I can at least pin down a likely candidate for my build.

 

Excellent!

[rossm]

There is a photo of W5359 in Wellington Squadrons by Paul Freer and Simon Parry published by Red Kite. It's not clear what the date is but there are two other photos of 143 Sqdn aircraft dated 1940 and 1941 on the same page, not of a whole aircraft though. I'll post a copy later today.

Edited May 9 by rossm
Correction

[AndyL]

30 minutes ago, rossm said:

There is a photo of W5359 in Wellington Squadrons by Paul Freer and Simon Parry published by Red Kite. It's not clear what the date is but there are two other photos of 143 Sqdn aircraft dated 1940 and 1941 on the same page, not of a whole aircraft though. I'll post a copy later today.

Sounds like one I had from a squadron family member. The date is December 1940, and part of a batch taken at a snowy Binbrook.

[JWM]

I have found on a Polish web site http://www.samolotypolskie.pl/samoloty/3055/89/Vickers-Armstrong-Wellington that Mk II came to Polish squadrons of RAF (first to Sq. 305) in July 1941. 

Here are photos but from 1941 and 1942... https://www.polishairforce.pl/dyw305zdj.html

https://muzeumsp.pl/wydarzenia/polska-zaloga-wellingtona-upamietniona-w-holandii/ presents such profile: 

 

 

[JWM]

P.S>

What I have found more:

300 Squadron did not used Mk II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._300_Polish_Bomber_Squadron

301 Squadron did not used Mk II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._301_Polish_Bomber_Squadron

304 Squadron looks neither to operate Mk II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._304_Polish_Bomber_Squadron 

Then, of Polish bombers squadrons on RAF only  the 305 Squadron was equipped with Mk IIs for one year - July 1941-August 1942 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._305_Polish_Bomber_Squadron

So much later, unfortunately, to period you are interesting in...

Regards

J-W

 

 

Edited May 9 by JWM

[rossm]

1 hour ago, AndyL said:

Sounds like one I had from a squadron family member. The date is December 1940, and part of a batch taken at a snowy Binbrook.

There's one from then but the one of the whole of W5359 is undated and in flight. I'll post it when I get home and have access to my photo hosting site.

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

Wellington II
T2545, mark II prototype was given the serial W5253 while the mark II with serial W5253 was built as a mark Ic and given the serial T2545, This gives 11,462 Wellingtons built including the prototype.  With 400 Wellington II built October 1940 to June 1942, at Weybridge, 35 built to end 1940, output of 20 to 30 per month in 1941 before winding down in 1942. The factory was producing mark Ic before during and after the II, mark VIII from December 1940 (initially considered Ic) and started mark VI production in January 1942.  Chester started mark IV production in December 1940, mark III in October 1941, Blackpool started mark III production in May 1941.

 

Wellington II in arrival then departure order from RAF Squadrons by C.G. Jefford

142 Sqn from Nov-40 to Oct-41 with Bomber Command
12 Sqn from Nov-40 to Nov-42 with Bomber Command
9 Sqn from Mar-41 to Aug-41 with Bomber Command
104 Sqn from Apr-41 to Aug-43 with Middle East Command
218 Sqn from May-41 to Dec-41 with Bomber Command
405 Sqn from May-41 to Apr-42 with Bomber Command
99 Sqn from Jul-41 to Oct-41 with Bomber Command
57 Sqn from Jul-41 to Nov-41 with Bomber Command
305 Sqn from Jul-41 to Aug-42 with Bomber Command
38 Sqn from Aug-41 to Oct-41 with Middle East Command
148 Sqn from Oct-41 to Apr-42 with Middle East Command
214 Sqn from Nov-41 to Dec-41 with Bomber Command
158 Sqn from Feb-42 to Jun-42 with Bomber Command
466 Sqn from Oct-42 to Nov-42 with Bomber Command

 

https://www.lancasterbombers.net/form-78-aircraft-movement-cards/ for individual details, the following is from the Serial Registers, first 40 Wellington II initial allocation, ignoring Maintenance Units.

W5352    15 OTU 11 Jan 41
W5353    12 Sqn 10 Nov 40
W5354    12 Sqn 10 Nov 40
W5355    142 Sqn 10 Nov 40
W5356    142 Sqn 8 Nov 40
W5357    104 Sqn 20 Jun 41
W5358    12 Sqn 29 Nov 40
W5359    142 Sqn 30 Nov 40, repaired on site by Vickers 4 Aug to 6 Sep 41, 305 Sqn 10 Oct 41
W5360    142 Sqn 30 Nov 40
W5361    12 Sqn 7 Dec 40
W5362    104 Sqn 27 Apr 41
W5363    142 Sqn 30 Nov 40
W5364    142 Sqn 12 Jan 41
W5365    12 Sqn 2 Dec 40
W5366    12 Sqn 2 Dec 40
W5367    12 Sqn 3 Jan 41
W5368    142 Sqn 7 Dec 40
W5369    De Havilland 19 Jan 41
W5370    142 Sqn 7 Dec 40
W5371    142 Sqn 14 Dec 40
W5372    12 Sqn 28 Dec 40
W5373    12 Sqn 3 Jan 41, lost 12 Jan 41
W5374    142 Sqn 6 Feb 41
W5375    12 Sqn 22 Dec 40
W5376    12 Sqn 22 Dec 40
W5377    142 Sqn 9 Jan 41
W5378    142 Sqn 8 Jan 41
W5379    12 Sqn 27 May 41
W5380    12 Sqn 28 May 41
W5381    12 Sqn 3 Feb 41
W5382    12 Sqn 2 Feb 41
W5383    142 Sqn 17 Jan 41
W5384    142 Sqn 1 Mar 41
W5385    A&AEE 10 Sep 41
W5386    142 Sqn 22 Feb 41
W5387    142 Sqn 17 Aug 41
W5388    15 OTU 7 Sep 41
W5389    A&AEE 25 Apr 41
W5390    6 OTU 6 Dec 41
W5391    12 Sqn 12 Apr 41

[rossm]

Here's the page from Wellington Squadrons in Focus

 

[Paul Lucas]

That photo shows W5359 to be in the 'B' Scheme.