This photograph shows Whitley N1357, it probably replaced Whitley T4138 at 77 Squadron and carried the same squadron code "KN-H".
On the evening of 15th December 1940 this 77 Squadron aircraft was to have undertaken an operational flight. Whitley T4138 took off from Topcliffe at 16.41hrs and this aircraft was one that made up a force of 71 aircraft of various types heading to Germany with the aim of bombing Berlin, Frankfurt and Kiel. After sometime in the air an engine failed on this aircraft so the pilot turned back for base with the bomb load on board. The weather over the high ground of North Yorkshire was bad at the time of the return flight and although the aircraft made it over the moors on the return it circled the Topcliffe for sometime while flying on the one good engine. The captain had handed over the controls to his second pilot by this stage in the flight and it was him who was actually at the controls when it crashed. It was while the aircraft was being flown on one of these circles that it hit the high ground at 18.35hrs on the edge of Arden Great Moor. On impact the aircraft caught fire. One member of the crew struggled down the hillside to get help, due to his injuries this took some time. When he reached a nearby farm, the farmer was able to summon help for the rescue the rest of his crew. Of the crew involved in this incident, four were lucky and they survived, one however was not, he was killed in the impact. The raid itself was not a success, less than half of the aircraft bombed. It is suggested elsewhere that despite the fire the bomb load remained intact after the crash and the fire, I would cast doubt to this, surely the bombs would have exploded in the intense fire and there are no signs of craters at the site which surely would have resulted should any explosion have occurred.
Whitley T4138 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton. It was allotted to 23 M.U. on 30th July 1940 and was received by them on 7th August 1940. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that the aircraft was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Topcliffe on 28th November 1940. Following the crash on Arden Moor on 15th December 1940 Cat.W/FA damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on 1st January 1941.
Pilot - P/O Hayden Hugh James Miller RAF (43041), of Morrinsville, New Zealand. Injured.
Second Pilot - Sgt Douglas Henry Gilbert RAF (748210). Injured.
Observer - Sgt Gordon Thorpe RAF (581481). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Albert Edward Hammond RAF (535641). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Cyril Williams RAF (AAF)(818161), aged 28. Buried Topcliffe Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Sgt Cyril Williams and his gravestone at Topcliffe Cemetery. He was the son of Edward and Margaret Williams of Sketty, Swansea and born on 28th December 1912. Prior to being called up for service he was working as a salesman. He was posted to 614 Squadron on 25th August 1939 possibly as ground crew but was posted to No.2 Electrical and Wireless School on 3rd January 1940 to train as a wireless operator. He was later posted to 11 O.T.U. on 21st July 1940 and to 77 Squadron on 30th September 1940. He was engaged to be married when he was killed. He was buried on 21st December 1940 at Topcliffe Cemetery. My thanks to Mrs P Lewis, the niece of Sgt Williams, for the information and photographs she has been able to provide for inclusion in this webpage during the early days of this website.
The crash site of Whitley T4138 as it was in February 2003 when I first visited. This is a good example of how checking a variety of hit and miss locations can bring results. The site was found the site by chance a few weeks previously whilst attempting to locate a Wellington (which would later be found on Hawnby Moor). The area where this Whitley crashed still shows severe signs of what happened. A large burnt out is still visible and there were many small but interesting items on the ground, sadly much of it was too badly damaged by the post crash fire to be identifable.
Part of the centre section of the Whitley (above) with a typical Whitley part number (below).
These series of photographs show some of the more interesting tiny fragments found at the crash site in March 2014.
This last photograph is part of the bomb release mechanism.
Three photographs of Hayden Miller (My thanks to Kerry Foster for these photographs and the information which has kindly been sent to me). Hayden Hugh Miller was born in Eureka, New Zealand on 31st March 1914, after finishing his education he became a school teacher and was later accepted into the SSC and later joined the RAF. He joined the RAF on 29th August 1939 as the War in Europe was just begining and having the service number of 43041. He would rise through the ranks to become W/Co having transferred to the RNZAF on 22nd September 1943 and was a member of the regular air force until 16th December 1946. He rejoined the reserve on 17th August 1950 until 31st March 1969 when he retired as Wing Commander Hayden Hugh James, OBE, DFC, AFC, mid(4). Probably one of the
most decorated airmen in New Zealands history.
In addition to this basic biog I learn from Colin Hanson's book "By Such Deeds - Honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1923-1999" that the citation for his Distinguished Flying Cross was published on 6th June 1941 when he was with 77 Squadron flying Whitleys: "This officer has completed numerous operational missions. Throughout these flights he has displayed great determination and a complete disregard of enemy opposition. He has attacked many objectives in enemy and enemy occupied territory with marked success. On one occasion, he completed an operation over Turin in almost impossible weather conditions. His courage and skill have inspired confidence in every crew of which he has acted as captain."
His first Mention in Despatches was on 11th June 1942 flying Wellingtons: "For meritorious service with 22 OTU RAF as a F/Lt and he participated in the first ‘1000’ bomber raids on 30th/31st May and 1st/2nd June 1942." His second Mention in Despatches was in 1943: "For meritorious service with 22 OTU, 91 Group RAF (Wellington), as an Acting S/Ldr." The third Mention in Despatches was on 14th January 1944: "For meritorious service with HQ 91 Group RAF, as a S/Ldr." The fourth Mention in Despatches was on 14th June 1945: "For meritorious service with 24 OTU RAF". Flying Wellingtons.
The citation for his Air Force Cross was printed in the London Gazette on 8th June 1944 when he was at HQ 91 Group and reads: "This officer has been employed as Group flying instructor at this unit since November, 1943. Previously, as a flying instructor and flight commander he did outstanding work in 22 OTU. His new duties, which he has performed with conspicuous success, entail visiting all Operational Training Units, where he examines and tests flying instructors and air crews under training in their various duties, both in the air, by day and night, and on the ground, paying particular attention to detail. To this work, Squadron Leader Miller has brought the utmost tact, patience and efficiency. He has completed a total of 680 hours flying on OTU instructional duties."
The Citation his award of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) was awarded in 1946 when he was serving with 24 OTU and reads.. "Wing Commander Miller has been employed as the Chief Instructor at this unit for nearly a year. During this time the Training Wing has been completely re-organised and has changed its record within [93] Group from being the Station which had sustained the greatest number of flying accidents per hour flown, to the Station with the fewest number of accidents per hour flown. For the first three months of the year no less than 6,800 hours per accident were flown which was in itself a very notable achievement. In addition, during one month the Unit achieved top place in every subject in the Group Order of Merit. This outstanding improvement has been largely the result of Wing Commander Miller’s self-sacrificing efforts and devotion to duty. He has always been available at all hours of the day and night and his efficiency and unstinting application to his work have won the confidence and respect of all the personnel on the Wing and on the Station." He also lead the RNZAF Contingent of the 8th June 1946 Victory March in London.
In 2008 I made contact with his son, Mr James Miller and would like to thank him for the interest he has shown in documenting his father's wartime flying on this page. W/Co Miller passed away at Ashwood Park Resthome, Blenheim, New Zealand on 5th July 2009.
Albert Hammond was the son of Sgt Major Albert Edward and Mrs Annie Hammond and was born in Punjab, India in january 1919. In 1941 his parents were living in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire but as Albert is commemorated on the Ipswich War Memorial this suggests the family had links there as well. He had already survived the crash landing of Whitley P4942 at Appleton le Street, near Malton in September 1940. He also survived the crash of Halifax L9498 at Linton on Ouse in June 1941. F/Sgt Hammond was later posted to 35 Squadron and was killed on 9th July 1941 when Halifax L9521 was shot down over The Netherlands, the aircraft sadly crashed onto a house killing three crew including him as well as four people in the house. He is buried at Uden War Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
On 6th August 1940 Hayden Miller was the pilot of 10 Operational Training Unit Whitley K9015 undertaking a training flight when the aircraft made a heavy landing at Abingdon causing the undercarriage to collapse. On 5th November 1940, flying 77 Squadron Whitley T4151, P/O Miller, Sgt Gilbert and Sgt Thorpe undertook a raid on Milan with other aircraft but after flying in electrical storms outbound this was the only aircraft to bomb Milan. The wireless became unservicable, strong winds and snow and ice over the Alps effected flying. After being in the air for over eleven hours (or thirteen hours, the time varies from source to source) the aircraft was ditched in the North Sea off South Shields when they became lost and probably ran low on fuel. They were rescued from their dinghy by a passing steamer and taken ashore.
Douglas Gilbert was born on 4th September 1917 at Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. He was still serving with 77 Squadron when he was serving as second pilot of Whitley T4164 which was shot down by a night fighter over Holland on 15th February 1941. He baled out, became a POW and held at Camp 357, Stalag Kopernikus. He died on 7th September 1997 at Milton Keynes.
Gordon Thorpe was born in Middlesbrough on 9th September 1914. Nothing more is known of him.