Whitley N1406 at Cherry Hill, Brandsby.

The crew on board this Whitley were returning from Ops to Oslo on the 3rd May 1940 and became lost whilst flying in cloud over Yorkshire. The aircraft ran low on fuel so the pilot ordered the crew bale out, this was done so over the Easingwold area (probably more accurately over Thormanby). All five airmen abandoned the aircraft however the air gunners parachute either opened in the aircraft or he released it too soon after leaving the aircraft, and it fouled the aircraft. He was dragged down with the aircraft and died of his injuries later in hospital with his parents at his bedside. Of the others who got clear of the Whitley, one, LAC Fisher, "landed at a road junction, from which he saw a small church on a village green, with fields round it." The village turned out to be Kirby Hill, near Easingwold. He then walked to a nearby farm and explained the situation, where upon the owners promptly closed the window they were speaking through and nothing more was heard. He then walked to the Church and lay down on the grass, after a short time he was joined by the aircrafts navigator and eventually the rest of the crew, they were later taken back to Dishforth airfield. The aircraft was reported to have come down at Cherry Hill near Brandsby at around 05.00hrs. The pilot was taken to York Military Hospital with leg and back injuries. He was held partly to blame for the accident aircraft running out of fuel. He was ordered to land at Sealand but failed to do so, he also failed to alter their course after a baring was received and ordered the abandonment of the aircraft too soon, dawn was said to be iminment and there was still enough fuel in the aircraft to stay in the air until dawn. The crash report also makes mention that the major factor in the crash was that the wireless had failed to some degree. The pilot was however very experienced, with over 1700 hours flying time at the time of the crash.

Whitley N1406 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth at Bagington and delivered to 51 Squadron at Dishforth on the 1st of May 1940. This was a brand new aircraft which explains why the Squadron Leader was flying it on what must have been it's first operational flight. It was written off as a result of the crash, Cat W damage being recorded and it was struck off charge.

Pilot - S/Ldr Gerald Price Marvin RAF (27230) - injured, broken leg and back injuries.

2nd Pilot - P/O Albert J Oettle RAF (40133) - ok.

Obs? - Sgt J Brisbane RAF - ok.

WOp? - LAC Ernest Fisher RAF, of Canada - ok.

Air Gunner - AC1 Angus Hepburn RAF (620438), aged 20, of Leith, Edinburgh. Died the following day from his injuries. Buried Seafield Cemetery, Edinburgh.

Angus Hepburn's grave in Edinburgh. Whilst his entry in the CWGC database does not give information as to where he came from his grave is next to a number of other Hepburns and I would assume these are his immediate family.

I have yet to locate the crash site.
Albert Oettle was promoted to F/O on 12th May 1940, and to F/Lt on 12th May 1941. He was also posted to Special Duties work probably after completing his Tour with 51 Squadron for which he was awarded the DFC, After 51 Squadron he was firstly to 1419 Flight where he sustained injuries in an accident on 11th April 1941 in Whitley T4165, this accident saw two of the crew being killed and four injured. After recovering from these injuries 138 Squadron had been formed out of 1419 Flight and he was posted to 139 Squadron. He returned to flying duties less than two days before his death on 30th October 1941; he was the pilot of Whitley Z9223 and the aircraft crashed while landing at Stradishall. F/Lt Albert J Oettle DFC is buried in Hove Churchyard, Sussex but has a special memorial as his grave position is lost. and was twenty five years old. His DFC appeared in the London Gazette dated 22nd October 1940, gained when he was a F/O.
Gerald Marvin was made a S/Ldr in August 1938 but had taken over the command of 51 Squadron in June 1937 when he was a F/Lt. As S/Ldr he was MiD (Gazetted 11th July 1940). He was made a Temp W/C in December 1940 and transferred to the RAF Reserve in 1944. He was made a CBE during the War but the date for this is not known. Post-War he remained in the RAF and took the rank of S/Ldr in September 1945 (with seniorty back to 1st August 1938), and then rose to W/C on 1st November 1947. In July 1965 he transferred from the RAF to the RAuxAFRO until July 1969 when he effectively retired after a life serving his Country.He retired from the RAF as a Group Captain and was at one point, possibly after leaving the RAF was living in York. He may well have had a brother, one Derek Price Marvin, who served in the RAF.
Ernest Fisher returned home to Canada after the War, years later he wrote a letter to The Dalesman magazine asking for information about this incident. Much of the above information for the accident above comes from that letter.
Nothing is known about Sgt Brisbane.