Whitley T4207 near Cold Kirby, Sutton Bank.

A 58 Squadron Whitley landing at Linton on Ouse.

At 16.05hrs on 3rd December 1940 this Whitley took off from Linton on Ouse and formed up with other eight other Whitley's with the order of bombing Lorient. The Whitleys encountered thick cloud over the target and only four aircraft managed to bomb, there were no losses over the target area. On their return to Yorkshire the pilot of this aircraft mistook the flare path at the dummy "K" airfield at the top of Sutton Bank near Cold Kirby for that of a real airfield. The area of Cold Kirby was enveloped in cloud, the aircraft made two unsuccessful attempts at landing and on the third he touched down a distance up the field. There was a strong tail wind at the time, it was thought this wind caused the aircraft to increase its ground speed. The landing was made just after midnight but the Whitley hit a mock-up aircraft and both aircraft were wrecked. The crew of the Whitley all survived.

Former Dialstone resident Mr Joseph Sharp tells me that the dummy airfield at Cold Kirby was used fairly frequently by bomber aircraft to make landings in the first part of the War when the weather in the Vale of York was bad. A number of these aircraft made successful landing here and took off on the Dialstone to Sutton Bank Top road when conditions improved. The dummy field initially had wooden Whitley mock-up aircraft placed on tressle tables, these were then replaced by fake "Boston" aircraft on wheels which could be towed around, the site was complete with a flare path made from oil drums and burning oil. German bombers are not thought to have been too fooled by the decoy however. It is known that one bomb was dropped close to White Mare Crag, and did not explode. It was found by Mr John Sharp of Dialstone whilst rounding sheep up, and later removed from the ground and blown up. The result of their digging is apparently still visible. A further site was built later in the War to the north of Dialstone Farm, near where a Halifax would crash in 1945, this decoy did not have any enemy attracted to it, the site had a generator building, which the base of is thought to remain in a field boundary.

Whitley T4207 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 6th September 1940. After delivery to MU in September 1940 it was issued to 58 Squadron soon after. It was written off with Cat.W/FB damage being recorded following the above incident on 3rd December 1940.

Pilot - Sgt Jobling or Gosling RAF (a very badly written and faded Form AM1180 does not really clearly state the pilot's name).

Second Pilot - P/O Jack Gordon Kerry RAFVR (84325), of Widmore Green, Bromley, Kent. Uninjured.

Observer - Sgt Reginald Denis Kirby RAFVR (759233), of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Uninjured.

Wireless Operator - Sgt Patrick William Kenealy Crisp RAF (509318), of Cambridge. Uninjured.

Air Gunner - Sgt John Grange Uff RAF (654690), of Leicester. Uninjured.

Jack Kerry was born in Bromley, Kent in 1919, he received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 24th August 1940, exactly a year later he was rose to F/O. As was often the case in these early losses of the War many airmen were killed in accidents or on Ops in the coming years. P/O Jack Kerry was awarded the DFC with 58 Squadron on 23rd December 1941 though no citation has yet been found for this. He had risen to the rank of S/Ldr was later killed on Ops with 35 Squadron on 5th October 1942. He was pilot of Halifax W1047 which crashed in France. S/Ldr Kerry DFC was twenty three years old and is buried in Lille Southern Cemetery, France. He had been posted to 35 Squadron on 7th August 1942.
Reginald Kirby was born in Yarmouth in 1909, nothing is known about his early life and being above average age for aircrew he must have made a career for himself prior to joining the RAFVR. Following this incident on the North Yorkshire Moors Sgt Reginald Kirby returned to active service, he sadly died on 12th May 1941 and was still serving with 58 Squadron and is buried in Great Yarmouth. He was thirty two years old. He died as result of the airfield at Linton on Ouse being bombed and also killed were some twelve other airforce personnel of 58 and 35 Squadron's including Station Commanding Officer G/C Garraway OBE who was killed commanding firefighting operations.
Patrick Crisp was born in Cambridge in 1910 and married in the St.Ives area in 1941. Sgt Patrick Crisp was awarded the DFM with 58 Squadron on 31st July 1941, he was later commissioned (51582) and survived the War. He stayed with the RAF until 1958. He died in Somerset in 1986.
Sgt Jobling and Sgt Uff's identities remain a mystery but it is thought that Sgt Uff was probably one P/O John Grange Uff RAF 52150 (NCO 654690); if so he later served with 104 Squadron in 1942 and was awarded a DFM "for gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations." (presented on 11th May 1943). He was made a F/Lt on 11th November 1943). He died in Nottingham in 1985.

Sgt Jobling / Gosling's identity is a puzzle, at this stage in the War Sergeant Pilots were very fortunate to complete a Tour but if they did then often they were rewarded for it, in the main though many were sadly lost on Ops. He certainly did not die on Ops and to complete a Tour usually would end up with a Commission around the same period simply through the period of service he had carried out. There were five Gosling's made PoW in the War and no Jobling's. There is also no mention of any Gosling/Jobling which would fit for a Commission in the early years of the War. A Sgt J B Josling served with 57 Squadron in 1943 and could be our man.