Whitley Z9147 at Leeming airfield.

On the 30th of September 1941 this aircraft was returning from Ops to Stettin but did not get lined up with the runway correctly and at 03.10hrs the aircraft stalled and hit trees on the airfield boundary and crashed into a small area of woodland. Only one of the crew sustained injuries.

Pilot - Sgt Robert E Wheatley RAFVR (742812)

Sgt Smith

P/O Birch

Sgt Ladkin

Sgt Warren


Sgt Wheatley completed a Tour with 77 Squadron and was awarded the DFM (Gazetted on 24th October 1941). He was later posted to instruct with 19 OTU at Kinloss and was killed on 24th March 1942 when Whitley Z6933 crashed on high ground near Glen Isla. He was 28 years old and is buried in Montrose Cemetery but was married to a girl from Derby. The Whitley Project are known to have recovered items from Z6933.