Wellington Bomber - Loch Ness Wellington Bomber - Brooklands Museum

This is a video is a tribute to our Great-Grand Mothers first husband, Ted who was a pilot in the Second World War, he was killed while on a mission over Emden, Germany flying a Vickers Wellington Bomber. He was a New Zealander flying with 405 (R.C.A.F.) Squadron, which was Canadian. When we were researching our holiday to Europe, we discovered that there are only two surviving Wellington Bombers in the world, and only one that actually flew in enemy action during the war. That plane is now known as the Loch Ness Wellington Bomber (N2980) and is located in England at the Brooklands Museum. We decided then that we had to include this in our trip. then we decided that in that case we had to go to his grave, it was a total mission to get too as it is located in the North West of Germany, near Bremen and a 2 hour drive in a rental car from Hamburg where we trained too. It was freezing cold and we managed to turn the drive into a mission as we got lost on the back country roads.
The Cemetery is immaculately maintained and we were saddened to find so many men who gave their lives, there were 816 graves, mostly airmen killed in action over Germany, there were 34 New Zealanders. Ted was buried with his aircrew, all were killed when their plane was shot down. It made us sad to see, such a terrible loss of life and such a horrible period in history, for both sides in the war.
When we were at Brooklands we also discovered that this is the only surviving Brooklands-built Wellington. During a training flight on the 31st December 1940, it developed engine trouble and ditched into Loch Ness. It was located in 1976 and recovered in 1985 and was brought to Brookland Museum by British Aerospace on 27th September 1985.

[@allanclark8631]

Great to see this, My father was a Wireless Air Gunner flying in a Wellington Bomber. He was 13th Sqd RAAF and flew with 104sqd RAF. He went to Canada Montreal and Halifax I believe for training and was stationed at Moreton in Marsh UK before active Ops from North Africa over Italy and was the only survivor from his group of trainees. I went to the Air Field in 2019 and the guard at the Air field let me in a short distance to have a look but is used for Fire Fighter Training now. There is a small Bomber Museum nearby but Murphy's Law it was shut the day I was there. Very emotional to be there and see where they did there flight training.

[@72mossy]

My grandfather was a Tipperary man and went working to London in 1938, got married to a Kerry woman in 1940, he was in the Homeguard and worked on the production line of the Wellington bomber. Returned to Tipperary in 52

[@truckguy6.7]

Thanks for posting this video. I really enjoyed the children's narration as well, it added a nice touch. I was here researching Wellington Bombers as my Grandfather was killed in one while on a night bombing training exercise close to Chipping Warden where he was part of 12 OTU (RCAF) on Feb 12,1944. The plane he was in was a Wellington III, serial number BK248. He was an air bomber and I always wanted to tour the aircraft to see where he would have been when the plane went down. We are from Canada and I plan to fly into London, visit the museum, visit Botley Cemetery where he is buried, Chipping Warden and finally up to Fosters Booth where his plane crashed. We probably won't be able to do that for awhile but until then i will enjoy the video of the tour of the plane. I'm always thoughtful of all the men who perished in the war from all around the world. Cheers

[@adventuremenz3192]

thanks Truckguy truckguy, hope you get a chance to visit your grandfathers grave too. the museum here is well worth the visit

[@lazyhazeldaisy9596]

I went to see this Wellington at Brooklands Museum on 28/10/20 absolutely brilliant and awe inspiring I went inside the fuselage and my immediate reaction was I would not have liked to have got out of that in a hurry it was incredibly narrow and not much room for manoeuvre. Thanks to all the airman that gave their lives you will always been remembered and just how brave they must have been.

[@adventuremenz3192]

thanks Heaps, we were really amazed at the set up at this museum, and it really made us feel connected to our Great grandfather - to actually see the plane and enter the actual fuselage

[@paulkelcher824]

Mr Grandfathers cousin is also buried at Sage War Cemetery , Sgt I J Shepherd, 75 Squadron RNZAF. He also flew Wellingtons.My other grandad's brother was also killed flying in a Wellington with 75 squadron (about 6 weeks after Jim Shepherd) . They never crossed paths that I know of. Keep up the interest in your family history :) I see on teh Auckland Museum Cenotaph site Ted was from Waimate. Both my relations had Waimate connections too.

[@adventuremenz3192]

We probably only saw a 5th of the graves at Sage War Graves Cemetery. You wont believe this, but we actually saw Sgt I J Shepherds grave, Shepherd is a family name of ours and that what made us stop and hence I remember the grave. I think he was on the other side of the cemetery, as we found plot 7 and thought that the next plot would be 8 but it was like 12, thats the part in the video when we went to get the register to work out the lay out... small world.

[@TheGuitarmanrh]

God Bless your Grandpa, and a big big thank you to him for all he did to ensure our way of life!! I love the wellington thats why i clicked on this video! Such a privilege to hear from the family whos Grandparent flew these wonderful machines! God Bless your Grandpa and may He Rest In Peace! And God Bless all of you and thank you so much for this upload! Jesus Loves You All!!!

[@adventuremenz3192]

Thanks so much for your kind words

[@donnrutherford7059]

Very moving, great job boys .

[@adventuremenz3192]

Thanks

[@bobthejo1]

Good Afternoon, My name is Bobbie, based in the UK, and have stumbled upon your video of the Vickers Wellington how Ted was a pilot on these type of aircraft, is there anyway I can contact you by email or something, as I have a logbook to a Rear Gunner and he coincidentally flew with Ted on one occasion on circuits and landing duty's on the 18th December 1941, 10 days before his sad loss and would like to show you to add a piece to your story of Ted, the logbook I am in possession of belonged to Rear Gunner Sgt. Robert Peel 939838 and he also flew with another New Zealander Pilot Officer Thiele whilst with 405 (R.C.A.F)squadron, hope to here from you, Many thanks, Bobbie

[@adventuremenz3192]

Wow, you just blew our minds, that would be incredible to see, our email contact is as follows: nzadventureme all lowercase and one word (then at symbol) gmail dot com

[@bobthejo1]

@@adventuremenz3192 Good evening from the UK, I have sent 14 scans of the logbook I have in two separate emails of the whole logbook as some info may be relevant to yourselves maybe. Thank you for responding. I know its not much but its something you possibly haven't seen before.

[@victorkiam8612]

Geodesic construction by Buckminster Fuller. Great plane until the German pilots figured out where the sweet spot was to shoot at was. I guessing if he went down in loch Ness he was probably training for hitting the fyords in Norway .