Whitley T4273 at Topcliffe airfield.
On 21st December 1940 this aircraft was belly landed at Topcliffe airfield but nothing more about the incident is currently known, the photograph above is of Whitley T4273 after this incident and shows it was only slightly damaged.
Crew - Names unknown.
Whitley T4273 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 15th October 1940. It was taken on charge by 102 Squadron at Topcliife as a replacement for Whitley P5074 which was lost on return from an operational flight to Turin on 15th November 1940. The aircraft sustained Cat.M/FA damage as a result of the incident at Topcliffe on 21st December 1940 and was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It was later recoded "DY-S" in early
March 1941 as a replacement for Whitley T4261 which failed to return from Koln on 1st March 1941. T4273 failed to return from an operational flight to Hamburg on 13th/14th March 1941, it was shot down and crashed in Kampstrasse, Hamburg-Lokstedt with the loss of five lives. Cat W(m) damage was recorded.