The Wellington was a British twin engined long range medium bomber of World War 2. The aircraft was designed in the mid 1930’s by Vickers Armstrong. A key feature of the aircraft was the geodetic structure designed by Barnes Wallis. The Wellington was part of the first RAF bombing raid of the war when 14 Wellington’s together with a number of Bristol Blenheim’s targeted shipping at Brunsbüttel and the aircraft was the principle night bomber of the RAF during the early years of the Second World War but in 1943 it started to be superseded as a bomber by larger four engined bombers. In total 11,462 were built. The aircraft also served with Coastal Command where it contributed to the Battle of the Atlantic and a specialist version fitted with a magnetic loop was used to explode mines. The aircraft was also used in the Middle and Far East and was the first aircraft used as an airborne early warning and control aircraft to intercept Heinkel He 111 bombers launching V1 rockets.

Wellington Mk 1C L7818 ‘AA-V’ of No75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF, flying from RAF Mepal, Cambridgshire, England to attack Munster, Germany on the night of 7/8 July 1941. V was itself attacked by a Messerschmitt Me110 over the Zolder Zee which set fire to a fuel line near the starboard engine. Sgt. James Allen Ward was the second pilot and climbed out onto the wing , punching holes in the fuselage and wing skin for foot and hand holds. He managed to extinguish the fire and climbed back into the aircraft which was able to continue and land safely. For his actions Sgt. Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross.