Whitley Z6958 at either Dalton or Topcliffe airfield (hit by flak and returned to Yorkshire).
On the night of 17th of October 1941 this aircraft had taken off at 00.41hrs
for Ops to Duisburg, the aircraft was hit by flak and although the pilot was able to
make a safe landing at Dalton/Topcliffe the aircraft was later written off. The exact airfield is not yet known by this researcher.
Pilot - Sgt Lawrence W Carr RAF (1250644), of Crayford, Kent.
2nd Pilot - Sgt J E Church (probably Sgt James E Church RAFVR (13762775)).
Sgt R B Shoebridge (923287).
Sgt D Cramp
Sgt R J Horton
Sgt Carr's aircraft Whitley Z6868 exploded prior to take off on 31st August, he and his
crew were able to run clear before the explosion and escaped injury. This incident is detailed on this website.
He later converted to Halifaxs and on 28th April 1942 he was the pilot of Halifax W7653 on Ops to Cologne when his aircraft was shot down by a night fighter over
Belgium. He was able to evade capture thanks to the Comete Line and crossed into Spain on 13th May 1942.
The 2nd pilot was almost certainly one Sgt James E Church RAFVR (13762775) who was later killed with 77 Squadron on 13th March 1942 and is buried at
Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire. He was flying in Whitley Z6075 which crashed near Leeming, the incident is detailed on this website.
Sgt Shoebridge later became a PoW while flying with 102 Squadron having converted to Halifaxs. He was flying in the same
Halifax as F/Sgt Carr (as detailed above), Sgt Shoebridge was captured and spent the remainder of the war as a PoW.
Nothing is yet known about the other two airmen.