Vickers Wellington

The Wimpy: a versatile aircraft that developed a taste for a range of roles during World War Two

TO many, especially those connected to the film industry, the RAF appeared to rely on two, or perhaps three aircraft during WW2: the Spitfire, the Lancaster, and to a lesser extent the Hurricane.

There were, however, a large number of other British aircraft that played a crucial role in hostilities, with a key fact lost on many being that production of the Lancaster only began two years into the Second World War, before which much of the brunt of bombing duties against enemy targets fell on the shoulders of the ‘Wellie’.

(Wellington B Mark IA)

The more formal name for the only British-made bomber that stayed in production throughout WW2 was the Vickers Wellington, an aircraft that was also affectionately known as the Wimpy to RAF personnel, named after the burger-loving friend of cartoon character Popeye.

The history of the Wellington dates back to the mid-1930s, the twin-engine medium bomber’s construction led by Vickers Armstrong Chief Designer Rex Pierson, its robust fuselage construction principally designed by the man famous for inventing the bouncing bomb, Barnes Wallis. The development of the Wellington was in response to Air Ministry Specification B.9/32, issued in 1932 for a bomber capable of delivering higher performance than any previous design.

It had a metal lattice framework, the so-called geodetic construction, devised by Barnes Wallis, which providing considerable strength, with the aircraft still viable even when sustaining extensive damage; Wellingtons with huge areas of framework missing due to enemy fire were often seen returning from operations when other aircraft would not have made it home. On one occasion, a Wellington attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf 110 in July 1941 saw a fire engulf the starboard engine, only for one quick-thinking crewman to climb outside the fuselage, attached to the aircraft only by a rope, kick holes in the fabric for foot and hand holds, and smother the fire with an engine cover, allowing for a safe return to Britain.

(The geodetic airframe of Wellingtons visible while under construction)

The first prototype was flown at Brooklands in Surrey on June 15, 1936, with the first production Wellington Mk I, L4212, conducting its first flight on December 23, 1937. It was initially powered by two Bristol Pegasus radial engines, boasted a top speed in excess of 250mph, and had a range of around 1900 miles carrying a 1500lb bomb load; defensively it was fitted with two-gun nose and rear turrets, and a retractable revolving ventral turret, and it was operated by a typical crew of five including a bomb-aimer in the aircraft’s nose.

Named after the famous soldier and statesmen who was most notable for his heroics at the Battle of Waterloo, in a few short years the Wellington would be tested to its limits as part of Bomber Command’s offensive against Germany. It was September 4, 1939, less than 24 hours after Neville Chamberlain had declared that Britain was at war with Germany, that 14 Wellingtons of Nos. 9 and 149 Squadrons attacked German shipping at Brunsbüttel in northern Germany.

(The tail turret of a Wellington taken in 1942)

Later in 1939, following an abandoned daytime assault on the German fleet, 12 Wellingtons were lost to Luftwaffe fighter aircraft that highlighted its vulnerability to attacks from above – turrets offered protection at the front and rear but the Wellingtons had no defence for fire from above, which had been discounted due to the speeds required for enemy aircraft to carry out such attacks. The result was that Bomber Command withdrew the aircraft from unescorted daytime bombing missions, Wellingtons converted for night operations with the focus on attacking communications and industrial targets.

At its peak, the monthly production of the Wellington numbered more than 300, with factories at Broughton (130), Blackpool (102) and Weybridge (70), churning out aircraft at phenomenal rates; it was the star of a Ministry of Aviation propaganda newsreel released during the war, detailing the construction of a single Wellington in less than a day at the Broughton Factory near Chester.

Despite the development of the Lancaster and the growing influence of heavier four-engine bombers in the campaign against Germany, the Wellington remained a focus of UK defence requirements, and the famous 1,000-bomber raid that targeted Cologne on May 30, 1942, included around 599 Wellingtons.

(Merlin-engined Wellington Mark II of No. 104 Sqn)

As its bombing role diminished, its influence elsewhere increased, especially in Coastal Command, helped by the installation of the Leigh Light, a powerful searchlight that could help locate surface vessels and submarines at night. Other Wellingtons acted as minesweepers, fitted with high power magnetic rings which were used to explode German mines by generating a powerful magnetic field as they passed over them.

Despite the reliance on four-engine bombers, the Wellington was still utilised across Europe, in the Far East and in Africa, its roles changing to fit the Allies’ requirements. Late in 1944, a radar-equipped Wellington from 407 Canadian Squadron, was modified to act as what would today be described as an AEW (airborne early warning) aircraft, controlling a Mosquito and a Bristol Beaufighter, directing them to intercept Heinkel He111 bombers operating from Dutch airbases for airborne launches of V-1 rockets.

Also utilised as a night torpedo bomber, parachute trainer and mine layer, to name but a few other roles, there were few aircraft that could claim to do as many jobs during WW2 as the Wellington. During operations under Bomber Command, the Wimpy flew 47,409 operations, dropped around 40,000 tonnes of bombs, with 1332 aircraft lost in action.

Post-war, they remained in service and were utilised during the flight testing of new turbojet and turboprop engines, continuing in a number of RAF roles until being finally withdrawn from service in March 1953; the figure of 11,461 is often quoted for the number of Wellingtons constructed over the lifetime of the aircraft.

Today, two complete surviving Vickers Wellingtons remain to view in the UK, at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey, and at the RAF Museum, Cosford.