Whitley Z6958 hit by flak, returned to Topcliffe airfield.
On the night of 12/13th September 1941 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with Ops to Frankfurt, the aircraft took off at 20.02hrs and attacked from 10,800ft but were also hit by flak.
The pilot was able to land at base of Topcliffe without further damage or incident at 04.29hrs.
Pilot - Stanley E H Morgan RAFVR (1166724), of Purley, Surrey.
2nd Pilot - Sgt Lawrence W Carr RAF (1250644), of Crayford, Kent.
Obs? - Sgt R K Thomson
WOp/AG - Sgt James A Fraser RAFVR (974156)
WOp/AG - Sgt Ronald Gayler RAFVR (1356736)
AG - Sgt J Williamson
P/O Morgan and Sgt Fraser were killed on 25th June 1942 in Halifax R9446, Morgan
was twenty one years old, Fraser being twenty seven, both are commemerated on the Runnymede
Memorial. Morgan was commissioned on 24th May 1942 to P/O on probation (emergency).
Sgt Carr's aircraft Whitley Z6868 exploded prior to take off on 31st August 1941, 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.
Sgt Williamson was the only survivor of Whitley Z6800 on 30th November 1941 on Ops to Hamburg, the rest of his crew were killed and he became a PoW.