Whitley P4974 hit by flak, returned safely to base.
On the night of 12th September 1940 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with bombing Berlin when the aircraft was struck by flak over Germany. The pilot was able to make the return leg of the flight to land back at Dishforth safely and the aircraft was later repaired.
Pilot - F/Lt Barclay, uninjured.
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. It was damaged by flak on 9th July 1940 with Cat.M/FB damage being 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, as detailed above with Cat.M/FB damage being
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 of England. Cat.W/FB
damage recorded on the airframe.