Whitley P4965 damaged by flak, returned to Dishforth airfield.

On the night of 28th / 29th June 1940 the crew in this 10 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb an explosoves factory at Frankfurt. During the flight the aircraft sustained minor flak damage to two fuel tanks and the trailing aerial was shot away. The crew were able to return safely and land first at Mildenhall at 03.53hrs but then after some fuel was put in the tanks it was ferried the aircraft back to Dishforth soon after where they landed at 06.36hrs. This crew were instructed to begin their flight from Topcliffe airfield and the instruction prior to take off with regard landing was that crews were to land at Topcliffe unless they returned at night or the aircraft were required for inspection and in both cases they were to land at Dishforth.

Pilot - F/O Henry George Cattell DFC RAF (43355).

Second Pilot - P/O Leslie David Wood RAF (40277).

Observer - Sgt J Shaw RAF (580888).

Wireless Operator - Sgt Bert Llewellyn Henry RAF (551737).

Air Gunner - P/O Harry James Heal RAF (41583).

Whitley P4965 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was delivered directly to 10 Squadron at Dishforth on 27th April 1940. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded following the flak incident as stated above. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit the following week. It then moved with the unit to Leeming on 8th July 1940 but was lost on 14th August 1940 on Ops to Turin. The aircraft set out from Abingdon to bomb the Fiat aircraft factory but was attacked by fighters over the target and lost one engine and sustained damage to starboard aileron. On the return leg the pilot attempted a forced landing on the beach near Dymchurch Redoubt, Kent but crashed into the sea. Sadly its two pilots were killed but the three other crew members survived.

Searching the birth index Henry Cattell was probably born in Birmingham in 1909. F/Sgt Henry Cattell received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 1st April 1940, he was awarded the DFC on 31st May 1940 for service with 10 Squadron. He rose to F/O (war subs) on 1st April 1941, F/Lt on 8th February 1942 and S/Ldr on 26th January 1943. As Acting S/Ldr he was Mentioned in Despatches on 11th June 1942 and then as Acting W/C he was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1945 and again on 1st January 1946 as W/C but infact he retired on 27th September 1945 retaining the rank of W/C. In civilian life he took on a number of management roles in the aviation industry. Known companies he worked for are Titanine Ltd, then Aerocontacts Ltd, Gatwick, then G.H. Burgess and Co. Ltd, Southall (who were involved in production of towed targets for aircraft) and later he became general manager and in 1960 a director of Stewart Aeronautical Supply Co. Ltd (SASCO). The photograph above was found in Flight Magazine online archives. It is possible that he died in Wolverhampton in 1986.

The date of Leslie Wood's commission is not yet known but must have been in 1938 or 1939 probably initially to Acting P/O on probation, he would have been graded as P/O on probation and confirmed as P/O on further dates into his service in 1939, possibly around September 1939. He was then promoted to F/O (war subs) on 23rd April 1940, to F/Lt (war subs) on 23rd April 1941, to S/Ldr (temp) on 1st July 1943. He transferred to the Reserve while in the rank of F/Lt (temp S/Ldr) on 23rd August 1943 and was called up for immediate service. Post-War he remained the RAFO until relinquishing his commission of F/Lt (retaining the rank of S/Ldr) on 18th May 1958. While with 10 Squadron he ditched Whitley N1483 in the Irish Sea on 1st October 1940 on return from Ops to Berlin and overshot England completely.
Bert Henry was killed on 14th October 1940 when Whitley P4993 hit a barage balloon over Weybridge, Surrey with the loss of the whole crew. He was nineteen years old and is buried in Harton Cemetery, South Shields, Durham.
Harry Heal received a commission on 14th January 1939 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation. He was graded as P/O on probation on 31st October 1939 and confirmed in his appointment as P/O on the same date but announced afew weeks later and backdated. He was promoted to F/O on 31st October 1940. F/O Heal was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 18th July 1941 and was later promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 31st October 1941. The would later transfer to the RAFO probably under the terms of his commssion. As Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the Bar to the DFC for service with 635 PFF Squadron, Gazetted on 23rd March 1945, the citation for this reads.. "This officer has completed numerous sorties and has now finished his second tour of operational duty. He has successfully participated in attacks against many heavily defended targets and he has always shown the utmost courage in the face of danger. Both in the air and on the ground, S/Ldr Heal has continued to maintain a high standard of skill, determination and devotion to duty." He was promoted to S/Ldr (war subs) on 2nd April 1945. He remained in the RAF post-War and finally retired after a remarkable period of service, retaining the rank of W/Co on 22nd September 1964.

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