Date:	Saturday 5 September 1942
Time:	23:30
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk Ic
Owner/operator:	70 SQN RAF
Registration:	Z8976
MSN:	DU-T
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Location:	Quattra Depression, Sahara Desert -   Egypt
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt
Destination airport:	Tobruk

Narrative:
Wellington Z8976 took off from Abu Sueir at 19h00 on the evening of 5th September 1942, tasked with bombing Tobruk. At approximately 23h15 the aircraft was flying at 12,000 feet between 6 to 10 miles west of Tobruk when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire. The crew released their bombs but both engines cut out, the pilot was only able to restart the starboard engine. The aircraft headed away from Tobruk in a south-easterly direction but it became obvious that they would not make Allied lines. The pilot made a smooth forced landing in the desert with all aboard safe. Because of the close proximity of enemy troops, they did not set fire to the aircraft but destroyed all critical equipment by hand and moved from the area quickly with what water they had. They walked for 29 days to reach allied lines but lost the rear gunner during a skirmish with Italian troops. The latter being wounded and captured.
Pilot: 1289031 Sgt Reginald Cyril Carter, MID (RAFVR)
2nd Pilot: 655944 Sgt Arthur Dennis Bebbington, MID (RAFVR)
Navigator: 920641 Sgt Ivor Davies, MID (RAF)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: J/15429 P/O Brian Earl Johnston, DFC (RCAF)
Nose Gunner: 1283177 Sgt John Christopher Haldon, MID (RAFVR)
Tail Gunner: R/82128 F/Sgt Georges Thomas Boniface Croisiau, MID (RCAF) – Injured PoW

70 Sqn RAF wartime records from The National Archives UK
Personnel file from F/Sgt Croisiau from RCAF Archives
Royal Canadian Air Force Association Awards Database https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/search-awards/?search=croisiau&searchfield=lastname&type=all
https://aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=z8976&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
Canada's Airwar 1942

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Apr-2025 05:49	tachel	Added
27-Apr-2025 15:22	tachel	Updated [Narrative, ]