BRITISH AIRCRAFT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE, 1939-1945: VICKERS WELLINGTON. (ME(RAF) 3703) Two Wellington Mark ICs, Z8797 ?A? and Z9095 ?D?, of No. 38 Squadron RAF, in flight over the Western Desert, probably while based at Shallufa, Egypt. These aircraft were specially converted for use as torpedo bomber/minelayers by the Squadron. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208831 BRITISH AIRCRAFT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE, 1939-1945: VICKERS WELLINGTON. (ME(RAF) 3703) Two Wellington Mark ICs, Z8797 ?A? and Z9095 ?D?, of No. 38 Squadron RAF, in flight over the Western Desert, probably while based at Shallufa, Egypt. These aircraft were specially converted for use as torpedo bomber/minelayers by the Squadron. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208831

My great uncle was recently recognized by the city of London for his service in WW2 by having a new street, Morgan Ave., in the west end named after him.

Franklin Benedict Morgan was an RCAF Pilot Officer who flew for 99 Squadron RAF on both bombing and mine-laying missions.

While flying Wellington LC Z8891 of 99 Sqn. on their return from Bremen he and his crew were forced to ditch off Lowestoft and were picked up by a trawler.

He was flying for the RAF’s 38th Squadron in Egypt in 1942 when his plane was hit while returning from a mission. A couple of his crew were able to bail out and he attempted to nurse his badly damaged Vickers Wellington bomber back to base. Unfortunately, the bomber ran out of fuel and crashed just four miles short of his home station near Cairo. He’s buried in the Heliopolis Military Cemetery in Egypt.

Due to a 1940s-era divorce I never got to know the Morgan side of my family well, but I’m honored by the service of my great uncle in helping win the war.

Both of my grandfathers — Donald Thorburn, who I was very close to and who helped raise me and build my interest in science, and my genetic grandfather Donald Morgan — also served in WW2. Opa (Don Thorburn) was an X-ray technician on the front lines, helping wounded soldiers as the allies advanced north into Italy. Don Morgan was a Canadian adviser to Winston Churchill, among other duties.