Whitley P4974 near Shipton by Beninbrough.
On the night of 7/8th October 1940 the crew in this Whitley were returning from Ops to Berlin when
the aircraft ran low on fuel and the crew became lost. The pilot force landed the aircraft at the
relief landing ground at Shipton-by-Beninbrough. The crew were unhurt and the aircraft was re-fuelled
and returned Dishforth.
Crew - Names unknown, uninjured.
Whitley P4974 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton and delivered directly to 51
Squadron at Dishforth on 3rd May 1940. Following a flak incident on 8/9th July 1940 Cat.M/FB damage was recorded
and it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 17th August 1940 on ops to bomb Bohlen power station its crew on
this occasion were forced to land at Nuneaton airfield but the aircraft was undamaged and it was refuelled and flown back
to Dishforth. On 12th September 1940 it sustained flak damage on Ops to Berlin but its crew were able to return safely to
Dishforth. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded and again it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 8th October 1940
on Ops to Berlin again it ran short of fuel on return and made forced landing at Shipton by
Beningborough relief landing ground, afew miles north of York. Again it was undamaged and after it was re-fuelled it was
flown back to Dishforth. On 12th February 1941 its then crew were undertaking Ops to Bremen when. on their return it was
abandoned out of fuel in bad weather over the North Sea off the East Coast of England. Its crew were rescued and Cat.W/FB
damage recorded on the airframe.