Whitley N1488 at Dishforth airfield.

On 5th February 1941 this aircraft is believed to have been slightly damaged in an accident at Dishforth airfield. Nothing more is known but it was repaired and flew again. By February 1941 this aircraft was an old one and was already probably relegated to being a training aircraft. There is a slight possibility that the aircraft had been used on operations on either the night of 4th/5th February 1941 when 31 No.4 Group Whitley's operated against Bordeaux and Calais or on the night of 5th/6th February 1941 24 No.4 Group Whitley's operated against Dunkirk.

Crew - Names unknown.

Whitley N1488 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 3rd February 1940, it was delivered to 10 Squadron at Dishforth the following month. On 8th July 1940 it was transferred to 51 Squadron at Dishforth when 10 Squadron moved to Leeming. On 5th February 1941 it was slightly damaged as a result of the incident recorded above and Cat.A damage must have been the maximum damage rating. By the end of March 1941 all 'N' serial Whitley's had been removed from No.4 Group front line service. In April 1941 it was taken on charge by 10 OTU at Abingdon where it served until being transferred to 19 OTU at Kinloss. By August 1944 19 OTU had ceased operating Whitleys and this aircraft was placed into MU storage where it remained until being struck off charge on 12th July 1945.

It could well be that Whitley N1488 was not a very popular aircraft with crews, it was possibly never assigned a squadron code letter for either 10 Squadron or 51 Squadron and 10 Squadron clearly did not want it when they left Dishforth, passing it on to 51 Squadron.