Whitley Z6660 at Plainville, north of York.
A 58 Squadron Whitley at Linton on Ouse.
On the 31st of May 1941, this Whitley was damaged after overshooting a landing at Plainville at 18.00hrs.
The aircraft sustained Cat R(B) damage, the crew were safe although one sustained injuries and an engine may have
been out of action when the landing was being carried out. Plainville was used as a relief landing ground by Linton and it is assumed to have been
attempting a proper landing here rather than force-landing. The RAF's Form 1180 for the incident claims it was returning from an operational
flight, there were however no 4 Group aircraft on Ops on the 30th/31st May 1941, the assumption is therefore the crew were
on a training flight, or moving the
aircraft to Plainville either prior to Ops, or after Ops.
Whitley Z6660 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton and delivered directly to 58 Squadron
at Linton-on-Ouse in March 1941. It suffered it's Cat R(b) accident on 31st May 1941, detailed above. The aircraft does
appear to have been repaired in works as no further record exists of it being with 58 Squadron. It next appears on charge
with B.O.A.C. as G-AGDW from 17th March 1942 to 15th April 1942 when it was restored to Z6660. The aircraft was placed
in MU storage until being issued to 81 OTU at Ashborne on 10th July 1942 when the unit was formed. The aircraft moved with
the unit to Tilstock in September 1942 and then to Sleap in January 1944. It was again placed in MU storage in November 1944 before
being struck off charge on 31st May 1945 as scrap.
Pilot - P/O George F Lambert RAF (63419), of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. uninjured.
Crew - Names unknown, one sustained slight injuries.
The pilot and his then crew were forced to take to their parachutes on 12th September 1941 on return from Ops, Whitley Z6931 crashed near
the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, the incident is
detailed here .
George Lambert was commissioned on 3rd April 1941, he was made a P/O on Probation. Exactly a year later he was made F/O on Probation.
He evaded capture in April 1943 after the 35 Squadron Lancaster he was piloting was shot down
by a night-fighter over France. This action was four of his crew killed and two others become PoW's.
As F/Lt he was
awarded the DFC, gained with 35 Squadron on 16th June 1944. The Citation reads..""In air operations this officer has displayed skill, courage and determination of a high order. He has completed a large number
of sorties including attachs on such targets as Berlin, Turin, Frankfurt and Cologne. His keenness has always been evident and his determination
to bomb his targets successfully has won much praise". As a S/Ldr he was killed only weeks later with 35 Squadron when, on 5th July 1944 Lancaster ND731 crashed near
Villeneuve-St-Georges. He is buried Emance Communal Cemetery, France.