Whitley P4952 hit by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.

On the night 20th/21st July 1940 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with bombing an aircraft factory near Wenzendorf, northern Germany. Heavy flak was encountered and this aircraft sustained flak damage but the crew dropped their bombs and made for home. On the return leg they flew through an electrical storm which fused the wireless aerial. The pilot was able to make a safe return and land at Leeming without further damage and the aircraft was later repaired.

Pilot - F/O Garfield W Prior RAFVR (37611), of Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada. Uninjured.

Crew - Names unknown, uninjured.

Garfield Prior was born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan in 1914. He joined the RAF in the mid-1930s and was appointed to a commission on 2nd March 1936, taking the rank Acting P/O on probation and was later posted 97 Squadron. He was posted to 10 Squadron on 15th September 1939. He transferred to the Reserve on 6th January 1940 but was immediately called up for service on that date.

On 5th August he aircraft was bombing of the aircraft factory at Weismar. Very heavy anti-aircraft fire was experienced, and the aircraft was damaged by shrapnel in the front turret, but no member of the crew was injured. F/O Prior was awarded the DFC on 22nd October 1940 but no citation for the award has been found. He also rose through the ranks, rising to S/Ldr and was reported missing on 23rd November 1943 flying Stirling EF180 but his date of death is recorded on the CWGC database as being on 22nd January 1944.

Whitley P4952 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 15th April 1940. It was delivered to 10 Squadron based at Dishforth in the same month during the units conversion from Mk.IV Whitley's. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded following flak damage in May 1940 and the aircraft was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It moved with the unit to Leeming on 8th July 1940 and was again damaged by flak on 21st July 1940 on ops to Dusseldorf and the pilot was again able to make a return to Leeming. It was again repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 15th October 1940 it sustained Cat.W/FB damage on return from ops to Stettin, short of fuel and lost it was abandoned safely at 05.02hrs over Bellingham, Northumberland.