Aircraft accidents in Yorkshire.

Whitley P4955 hit by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.

On the night of 9th July 1942 the crew of this aircraft were bombing Kiel when they were hit by flak slightly damaging the aircraft. The pilot was able to make the return to Leeming and land without further damage and the aircraft was soon repaired. 10 Squadron had set out from Dishforth on the 8th but the unit was moving to Leeming so all returning aircraft made the move on their return in the early hours of the 9th July and from then on Leeming was 10 Squadron's home for some time.

Pilot - F/O William M Nixon RAF (39677), uninjured.

Crew - Names unknown, uninjured.

Whitley P4955 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and delivered directly to 10 Squadron at Dishforth on 20th April 1940. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded following it being damaged by flak on 29th June 1940 and it was repaired on site and returned to the unit the following week. It then moved with the unit up to Leeming 8th July 1940 and was slightly damaged (Cat.M/FB) on 9th July 1940 on Ops to Kiel when it was again hit by flak (as detailed above). Again it was repaired on site and returned to the unit but was lost, with Cat.W(m) being recorded when, on 17th August 1940 the crew were tasked with Ops to Jena to attack the Zeiss Works. It was hit by flak over the taget and an SOS was transmitted but at 03.26hrs a made crash landing was made at Rijsbergen, Holland. The crew of five, including F/O Nixon, were taken PoW. The other four may have been with F/O Nixon on his other two flak incidents; they were F/O Peter G Whitby (39919), Sgt H W Bradley (580782), Sgt E R Holmes (631819) and Sgt A M Somerville (547146).

William Nixon received his commission to P/O on probation on 9th May 1937 and rose to F/O on 8th September 1939. As F/O he was awarded the DFC on 22nd November 1940 for service with 10 Squadron, he was promoted to F/Lt while in captivity. He remained in the RAF after the War rising to S/Ldr on 1st August 1947 before retiring on 1st August 1956.

Peter Whitby remained in the RAF Post-War and was Mentioned in Despatches on 29th August 1952 for distinguished service in Malaya, having risen to the rank of S/Ldr.