Corgi AA34812 Vickers Wellington Ward VC

 

Vickers Wellington Mk.ICL7818 AA-R, Sgt James Allen Ward, No.75(New Zealand) Squadron, Feltwell, Norfolk,England, night of 7/8th July 1941 wing fireVictoria Cross winning actionsHaving successfully released their bombs over theGerman city of Munster on the night of 7th/8th July1941, the crew of Vickers Wellington L7818 setcourse for their home station at Feltwell and hopedfor an uneventful return flight. Those hopes weredashed when co-pilot James Allen Ward noticeda sinister shape stalking their aircraft in thenight sky, a Luftwaffe Bf 110 nighfighter.Before he could warn his pilot, the enemyfighter positioned itself under the Wellingtonand unleashed a hail of bullets and cannonshells into its fuselage, leaving it severelydamaged and on fire. On seeing the severityof the fire, the pilot instructed Ward toprepare the crew to abandon the aircraftand as a parting, ironic comment in thisdesperate situation, also said, ‘see whatyou can do about that damned fire!’Ward took him at his word, cuttinga hole in the fuselage of the bomberand attempting to extinguish the flames using fireextinguishers, however the savage slipstream made theseefforts futile. What he did next was quite extraordinary -he crawled through the astrodome hatch on the spine ofthe bomber and onto the wing of the aircraft. Clinging tothe exposed geodetic framework of the Wellington, Wardslowly made his way to the wing fire and stuffed a canvassheet into the gaping hole, putting out the fire in the process.Completely exhausted due the slipstream, he was pulled back into theaircraft by his crewmates, who could hardly believe what they had justwitnessed. Though still badly damaged, the bomber made it back to an RAFemergency landing ground and the crew all survived this incredible ordeal,thanks to the selfless act of bravery performed by Sgt James Allen Ward.