Loss of Wellington MkIc R1223 28 OTU RAF Wymeswold – 6th December 1942

I’ve sent you a private message.

Dont forget when fieldwalking,look up when in woodland. There have been several examples of parts being found still hanging on tress and in shrubs/scrub. In particular this has been reported concerning Wellingtons. Good luck.

Hi mark. It may be to late now but Norman Millard was my uncle I was born in May that year so never new him I still have some bits and pieces of him Kind Regards. Ray Line

A few years ago, we made enquiries to the landowner, asking if we could fieldwalk the Wellington crash site on his land.
His reply was “Which one? There were two in that field. One, maybe both, hit the tree and crashed, and there was another one that came down in that field near the road.”
The latter could only be R1223. The others were N2764 and X9941.

Many thanks for all the input.

I ask as by a quirk of fate Sgt Millard’s gas mask haversack and gas mask turned up at my local car boot sale in Bishops Stortford on Sunday. It has ‘Millard N K 1380773’ written inside the flap of the haversack and also the same + ‘RAF’ stamped on a red fibre ID disk attached to one of the strap buckles. I wasn’t expecting to find anything when I tapped the details into google and was a bit shocked to discover he was a Bomber Command casualty.

I actually only initially bought it for the haversack for my militaria collection and was intending to move the gas mask on. However, splitting them up now seems rather disrespectful and I’d like to find them both a good home. If anybody is interested having them, please PM me.

I am assuming that Flt Sgt Williams was probably the staff pilot and Sgt Lloyd the pupil under training.

Hi Mark

I have been reaserching all of the men burried in the Burton on the Wolds Cemetery which also includes Sgt Donald Robert Loyd, the Pilot of R1223. I have attached photographs of there graves.

All I have for Norman Millard is as follows.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]245823[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]245824[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]245822[/ATTACH]

06/12/1942
Sergeant Norman Kenneth Millard (1380773).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner.
No.28 OTU, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Age 22.

The son of Walter Douglas and Lily Evlyn Millard, of Thame, Oxfordshire.

Wellington 1c, R1223 of No.28 OTU RAF Wymeswold.
Crashed and burnt out half mile south-west of Hoton at 19.40 hrs on 6th December 1942. Cause unknown. Sergeant Millard was killed in the crash, Sergeant Loyd died later from burns, Flight Sergeant Williams and Sergeant Page survived with slight injuries.

From Bomber Command Losses – “Took off at 15:30 from Wymeswold for night flying practice. At 19.40 the bomber was seen on approach to the runway but before reaching the threshold it veered off the centre line and the throttles were advanced in order to go round again. While doing so, the Wellington crashed some 3 miles NE of Loughborough. Twenty-four hours after the crash, Sgt Loyd died from his terrible injuries. Along with Sgt Millard, he is buried in Burton-on-the-Wolds cemetery.” The other crew members were Flt Sgt R M Williams and Sgt F R Page, both of whom survived.