History of Wellington L4325?
 

Dear all,

Who can provide me with the history of Wellington L4325?

Grateful for any details, Theo

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

No doubt you've already found in Chris Ward's book "3 Group Bomber Command" on p222 that it went to CGS (Central Gunnery School). It must therefore have been on strength with a Squadron in No 3 Group, but not much help....

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Hello,

From the most recent edition of A-B's L1000-N9999 volume (p.41):

Wellington I L4325 - 115/CGS/15 OTU/RAE To 3138M 6.42.

Col.

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Hello Theo,

To add some more detail from the Form 78 aircraft record card;

Unit: Taken on charge:
115 Sqn 2-5-1939
10 MU 21-10-1939
CGS 7-3-1940
10 MU 10-4-1940
15 OTU 1-5-1940
(Cat. 2 damage 6-9-1940. Engine failure in flight, forced landed in field near Farnborough. From the Form 1180 aircraft accident card).
RAE 16-9-1940
10 MU 15-3-1941 (although written as '15-3-1940').
RAE 31-12-1941
AW/Colln. 7-3-1942
8 MU 19-3-1942
(Damaged landing on date unknown. 'To be transferred to 7 Sig. School for instructional use'. Became 3138M.)
7 Sig. Sch. ?
SOC June 1942 (but 1-9-1944 also noted as Cat. E).

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Thanks chaps for your quick and useful replies!

Beste regards, Theo

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Martin,

No.7 SIGNALS SCHOOL.

Formed 1.1.42 in No.27 Group at Albert Court, Prince Consort Road, SOUTH KENSINGTON, London SW.7, to train ground operators; Became No.7 Radio School 1.1.43.

See: FT&SU since 1912/Sturtivant with Hamlin/A-B/2007/253.

Col.

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Dear all,

Further to this topic: the Wellington L4325 bears the unit code NH -I can't determine which unit this might be, who can help me with that? The airman who took the photo was killed in action in July 1940, so the photo was taken before that.

Cheers and thanks, Theo

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

NH was the pre-war code of 38 Sqn, but they had become HD by the start of war

During the war NH was used by 274, 415 and 119 Sqns, 415 got Wellington XIIIs in 1943


Martin

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Thanks Martin -here's a blow-up of part of the photo of this Wellington (alas the original is of rather bad quality), hopefully this will help determine the exact serial number and thus the identity of the a/c.

Cheers, Theo

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Theo

Most probably this is an aircraft in use with 38 Sq pre-war. All the Wellingtons in the batch L4212 - L4391 were delivered before the outbreak of WW 2.

Unfortunately 38 Sq received quite a few.

If I may venture a guess, I would say it is either L4235 or L4335, but there were others such as L4245, L4295. This is of course based upon that I think I can read L4xx5

Cheers
Stig

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Coming at it from another direction, because I cannot adequately make out the code in the photo either

L4295 is the only Wellington Mk I in my lists that started on 38 Sqn and went then to 115 Sqn.

There are a couple that went the other way but not 38 to 115

Martin

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Wiki has
which fits with the NH Code being pre War and the taking of photos before any wartime restrictions. Being an early delivery gives Jan to Sept 1939 as the window for the photo to have been taken.
From Post #4 from Martin, it's unlikely to be L4325 as he has that airframe as first being taken on charge by 115 Squadron after delivery in May 1939.

What you need is an L4xx5 being TOC by 38 Squadron, presumably later than May 1939 if '25 was delivered then.

Not much help, though!

EDIT: Mr Giles has beaten my fumbling conclusion!

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Thank you gentlemen for your interesting replies! In which period did L4295 serve with 38 Squadron, and what was the ultimate fate of the aircraft?

Cheers, Theo

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

It joined 38 Sqn after manufacture and moved to 115 Sqn on 23.04.39.
It became an instructional airframe (2774M) on 23.10.41


Those are the dates I have, need to get the movement card

38 Sqn got its first Wellington (L4230) on 24.11.38, so L4295 arrived after that and departed in April 39

Martin

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Theo

Any idea where the Photo came from ??

L4325 Force Landed at Thetford, Norfolk August 8, 1939 with 38 Sqn

Paul

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Thanks for these details Martin and Paul -the photo stems from a private collection and will be published in an early vol of the NCA series with Wing Leader.

Cheers, Theo

Re: History of Wellington L4325?
 

Theo

I can understand you not wanting to publish Ower details but

Is the collection form a UK or European source ?

Paul