Vickers Wellingtons

Vickers Wellington bombers outbound at dusk. The main aircraft depicted is a Wellington B.X, HE590, OW-P of 426 "Thunderbird" Squadron RCAF, part of 6 Group, which was based at the time at Dishforth in North Yorkshire. It was lost with all crew near Zemst, Belgium, in the early hours of 26 May 1943, shot down returning from an attack on Dusseldorf by a nightfighter from II/NJG 1.

The Wireless Operator was Sgt Edward THOMAS (1331633) of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. The other five crew were all Canadians:

W/O2 Donald Lyall BEATTY (R/124012) Air Gunner
P/O Stuart PENNINGTON (J/18125) Pilot
P/O Norman Cecil SWAN (J/18243) Air Bomber
Sgt Richard Ellwood TALMAN (R/123539) Pilot
F/O John Kaye WATSON (J/22809) Navigator