Whitley P4964 at Dishforth airfield.

On 19th May 1940 this aircraft was reported damaged when it undershot on landing at Dishforth airfield at 12.45hrs, the pilot was returning from a non-operational flight at the time. The aircraft struck a tree stump in the boundary hedge and when the undercarriage touched the runway it collapsed.

Pilot - "P/O R J Warren RAFVR", uninjured.

Crew - Names unknown, uninjured.

Whitley P4964 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 28th April 1940. It was delivered to 10 Squadron based at Dishforth on 29th April 1940. Following the incident detailed above Cat.M(C)/FA damage was recorded and it was repaired on site but was later transferred to 78 Squadron at Dishforth on 15th July 1940 when the unit moved from Linton on Ouse on that date. On 18th September 1940 Cat.M/FB damage was sustained when it was hit by flak on ops to Zeebrugge with the rear gunner on that occasion being injured. The aircraft returned safely to Dishforth, it was repaired and returned to its unit but on 2nd October 1940 it failed to return from bombing oil installations at Sterkrade and crashed at near Hessenweg, Holland with its crew of five being killed.
I cannot find a commission of an "R J Warren", but there was a Robert Vernon Warren (70881) in the RAF from at least 1938, he was awarded the DFC in late 1940 and transferred to the Admin Branch in 1941 before retiring on grounds of ill-health in 1944 with the rank of S/Ldr.

A F/O Warren was a pilot who served with 35 Squadron in March 1941 and 35 Squadron drew their early members from other 4 Group squadrons, it is possible that both men were the same person.