Whitley P4961 hit by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.

On the night of 11th/12th August 1940 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with ops to Gelsenkirchen when the aircraft sustained flak damage. The pilot was able to make a safe return and land at Leeming without further damage and the aircraft was later repaired.

On this night 10 Squadron were dropping incendiary bombs, known as "razzles". This type of incendiary was a made from pills of phospherous covered in gauze and placed between pieces of celluliod, while in the aircraft they were carried in containers topped up with water. When released down the flare chute they had a habit of lodging themselves in the tail plane of the Whitley and in the rudder hinges of the aircraft but did not catch fire immediately as they were wet. The aircraft landed safely at Leeming but when the incendiary bombs dried out they ignited. In the case of Whitley P4961 the damage is believed to have just been down to flak, however at four 10 Squadron aircraft on this raid were hit by flak and of the eight aircraft being used, six sustained damage by the incendiaries catching fire on landing. The identities of some of these aircraft are not yet known and it could be that Whitley P4961 was one of these.

Pilot - F/O A W Somerville RAF, uninjured.

Crew - Names unknown, uninjured.

Whitley P4961 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 25th April 1940, it was delivered to 10 Squadron at Dishforth in April 1940 during the units conversion from Mk.IV Whitley's. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded following flak damage in May 1940 with the aircraft being repaired on site and returned to the unit. It then moved with the unit to Leeming 8th July 1940 and damaged by flak in August, as detailed above with (Cat.M/FB damage recorded). Again it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 11th/12th September 1940 the aircraft was being flown on Ops to Bremen when the rear gunner baled out over Germany, the aircraft was slightly damaged and the remaining crew returned safely to base. Why the gunner opted to vacate the aircraft is not yet known. On 21st December 1940 the aircraft was returning from ops to Berlin when it was abandoned near Harleston, Suffolk and the crew escaped injury. The aircraft was written off as a result of this incident.