Whitley K9020 at Dishforth airfield.
This aircraft was on charge with 78 Squadron but was loaned to 10 Squadron and on this flight was flown by a 10 Squadron crew. During the evening of 4th January 1940 the crew of this aircraft were one of two 10 Squadron crews tasked with operational flying on this date. This aircraft took off from Dishforth at 15.10hrs with the crews tasked with a "nickel" leaflet dropping flight over Bremen, flying as a "tactical pair" with Whitley K9028. Owing to a fault with the oxygen system thirty miles from the English coast the oxygen system was found to be leaking so the captain opted to turn around and fly back to Dishforth to get the fault fixed. K9028 continued and K9020 landed at Dishforth at 16.35hrs. The fault was fixed, K9020 was refuelled and it took off at 17.30hrs. They then flew the operational sortie. K9028 was two hours ahead of K9020 and landed at Dishforth at 22.05hrs. On their return to land at Dishforth Whitley K9020 made a long and flat approach as there was indication that the brake pressure was low. Flying at night the crew failed to notice a line of trees and they clipped one of these trees. The aircraft's starboard undercarriage then collapsed on the airfield during a heavy landing at 23.59hrs. The crew escaped serious injury.
Records made at the time on the file of the wireless operator suggested was killed in this accident, this error only came to light in 1944 when the airman
himself was recommended for Commission and the medical officer examining him found the entry in his records stating he had died some four years previously!
Pilot - F/O Victor Roberton Paterson RAF (37478).
Pilot - Sgt Walter Stanley Hillary RAF (580022).
Observer - Sgt Henry John Davis RAF (580776).
Wireless Operator - AC William Ronald Armstrong RAF (551807).
Air Gunner - AC Bert Llewellyn Henry RAF (551737).
"Acting S/Ldr Hillary is a captain of aircraft and a flight commander of outstanding courage and ability. He has been operating continuously since war began, and has never shown signs of tiredness or waning enthusiasm. He is always eager for any job he undertakes, and never leaves it until it is successfully completed. When returning from Hanover on one occasion, the port inner engine of S/Ldr Hillary's aircraft failed completely when over the Dutch coast. He remained unperturbed, set course for the Norfolk coast, and landed safely on three engines."
He was promoted to F/O on an unknown date, to F/Lt (war subs) on 15th December 1941 and to S/Ldr (war subs) on 3rd August 1942. For the rest of the War he served in North Africa. He resigned from the RAF as S/Ldr, retaining his rank of W/Co on 11th August 1946. Post-war he became a civilian pilot first flying around the Scottish islands before taking up positions with Aer Lingus, East African Airways and in 1952 he joined Sabena flying in the Congo. He worked for Air Congo and returned to Sabena flying Dakotas around in the Libyan oilfields. He died in December 1995 in Denmark and is buried in Hundested, Denmark. His family also have a French Croix d'honneur but the background behind the award of this is not yet known though it could relate to some flying fighter aircraft in North Africa. I thank Mr Nigel Hillary for his contact.
Victor Paterson received a commission on an unknown date to P/O on probation, but probably in 1939. He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 28th June 1940. He rose through F/O and F/Lt on unknown dates again again to S/Ldr (temporary) on 1st September 1941. He was awarded the DFC for service with 78 Squadron Gazetted on 11th February 1941. He was killed on 21st September 1942 flying with 101 Squadron and was twenty six years old. He was buried in Aabenraa Cemetery, Denmark. His loss is recorded on Soren Flensted's website detailing the Airwar over Denmark.
I thank Walter Hillary's son for contacting me in March 2014 and for adding to an earlier biog I have created surrounding his father. Walter Hillary was
born in Lambeth, London in 1917 and had served with 78 Squadron before the outbreak of WW2, he was posted to 10 Squadron on 5th September 1939 and survived flying accidents involving Whitley K9020 at Dishforth on 5th January 1940 (detailed above), Whitley K9022 also at Dishforth on 3rd March 1940 and Halifax W7816 at Marston Moor on 29th December 1942. For his service with 10 Squadron he was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 30th July 1940. He was later posted to 35 Squadron in January 1941 and then to 76 Squadron in May 1941. He left 76 Squadron and trained to become a flying instructor at the CFS in November 1941. Having already received his commission on 2nd January 1941 (with seniority of 4th October 1940) to the rank of P/O on probation, as Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DFC for service with 76 Squadron, Gazetted on 30th January 1942, the citation reads..
Bert Henry was sadly killed on 14th October 1940 when Whitley P4993 hit a barage balloon over Weybridge, Surrey with the loss of the whole crew on this occasion. Sgt Henry was aged nineteen and is buried in South Shields Cemetery, Tyneside.
Henry Davis was flying Ops to Milan in mid August 1940 when the aircraft failed to return, he was taken prisoner of War. In September 1943 he managed to escape and evade capture and return to England. As Warrant Officer he died on 28th October 1944 but the reasons surrounding his death are not known. He was twenty six years old and was cremated at Canley Crematorium, Coventry. He was married to Barbara Davis of Braddan, Isle of Man.
William Armstrong was later posted to 76 Squadron and was awarded the DFM while serving with this squadron, Gazetted on 14th April 1942. He received a commission on 8th January 1945 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (56986) and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 8th July 1945.
Whitley K9020 was allotted to 10 Squadron on 13th March 1939 but was not delivered to them until 16th May 1939. It was initially coded "PB-L". With the outbreak of WW2 the coding was changed to "ZA-L". The aircraft was transferred to the care of 32 MU at St.Athan on 29th December 1939 but was immediately issued to 78 Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse the following day. It was loaned back to 10 Squadron. Following the incident on 4th January 1940 (detailed above) Cat.R damage was the damage assessment and it was repaired on site but was probably not used again by 78 Squadron as they ceased operating Whitley MkIV aircraft in February 1940. It next appears on charge with 19 OTU at Kinloss on 3rd July 1940 but was flown to Armstrong Whitworth's on 28th August 1940 for modifications and later returned to 19
OTU. It suffered repairable damage on 9th August 1941 and again repaired on site. It was again damaged on 25th September 1941 yet again repaired on site and returned to its unit on 27th September 1941.
It was again damaged on 5th December 1941 and again repaired on site returning
to 19 OTU on 13th December 1941. It suffered an undercarriage collapse at Kinloss on landing on 8th March 1942 and was again
repaired and returned to the unit on 21st March 1942. It was damaged on 5th May 1942 and repaired and returned to the unit on 29th May 1942. It suffered a warning light failure and landed
with the undercarriage retracted at Kinloss on 2nd June 1942 and again repaired on site and returned to 19 OTU on 11th July 1942. It transferred to 44 MU at Edzell (an aircraft storage unit) on 21st January 1943 and remained there until being struck off charge on 23rd July 1943 and it was broken up and melted down (known as RTP or Returned to Produce).