Whitley P4958 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On 2nd December 1940 the crew of this aircraft were attempting to take off from Linton on Ouse for Ops to Lorient
when, at 16.14hrs, it did not get airborne and crashed at the end of the runway due to a lack of power
in the engines. The aircraft is believed to have ran across the Aldwark road and caught fire but the
crew escaped serious injury. It would be later in the night after the fire had been put out that
the bombs on the aircraft were being removed when at least one exploded and fire members of
ground crew died as a result of the explosion and their names are recorded below. One of those named below was
Mentioned in Despatches after his death and it is not known whether this was for his actions on the night he
died or before this date.
Pilot - Sgt Charles Arthur Smith RAFVR (742847), injured.
Possible Second Pilot - Sgt T A Brown RAF, injured.
Rest of crew - Names unknown, injured?
? - AC2 Frederick Percy Griffiths RAF (1250935), aged 24. Buried Newton on Ouse Churchyard, Yorkshire.
? - AC1 Walter Douglas Victor Aldridge RAFVR (914347), aged 22, of Tottenham. Buried Tottenham Cemetery, Middlesex.
? - AC1 Alfred George Haslett RAF (913403), buried Heston Churchyard, Middlesex. (He was MiD on 1st January 1941).
? - LAC Alfred John Patterson RAF (292439), aged 40, of North Shields. Buried Tynemouth Cemetery, Northumberland.
? - LAC Robert Smith RAF (625232), aged 20, of Netherton Colliery. Buried Bedlington Cemetery, Northumberland.
AC2 Griffiths grave at Newton on Ouse, Yorkshire.
The pilot, Sgt Charles Smith, soon recovered from his injuries, he was sadly killed on 9th January 1941 flying Whitley T4203.
The aircraft was shot down and crashed in Holland sadly killing him and the other four on board. He is buried in Mook War Cemetery, Holland.
Whitley P4958 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 22nd April 1940. It was delivered to 10 Squadron
at Dishforth in the days that followed. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded after a flak incident in May 1940 and after returning to its base of Dishforth it
was repaired on site and returned to its unit. On the night of 8th/9th July 1940 10 Squadron were to undertake Ops leaving Dishforth and returning to land at Leeming,
it sustained the Cat.M(c)/FB damage after being badly damaged by flak and although a safe landing was made at Leeming and after a
lengthy repair on site at Leeming it was eventually transferred to 78 Squadron which were operating out of Dishforth by that date.
On the night of 2nd December 1940 it sustained damage as detailed above and Cat.W/Burnt damage
was recorded and it was deemed beyond repair. (Both these other incidents are detailed on this website).