Halifax L9509 at Marston Moor airfield.
On the 16th of April 1942 this aircraft suffered the undercarriage failing to deploy properly, at 11.00hrs the instructor crash landed the aircraft
on the airfield at Marston Moor without injury to any of those on board. It is believed the aircraft suffered minor damage and was later repaired.
Three hours later the same instructor was back in the air, possibly with another trainee crew, when an engine of the
second aircraft, Halifax R9431, caught fire. He was able to effect a safe landing back at Marston Moor but the aircraft
was deemed beyond repair.
Instructor Pilot - F/O Kenneth D Whisken DFC RAFVR (61037), of Bournemouth, Hampshire. Uninjured.
Trainee Crew - Names unknown, uninjured.
On 30th August 1941
he was the pilot of Whitley Z6798 which was damaged by flak but he was able to return to Topcliffe and land without further incident.
F/O Whisken was killed on 25th June 1942 and is buried in Dalfsen General Cemetery, Holland. He was twenty two years old. He was the pilot of Halifax
V9993 which was shot down on Ops to Bremen and crashed in Holland, the aircraft was on charge with 1652 Conversion Unit at the time of the loss. Oddly CWGC
give the date of 25th June for his death, where as W R Chorley quotes the time of the aircraft being shot down as being just after 2AM on the 26th. One other
member of his crew was killed but the date for his death was on the 26th, it could be that Whisken had been killed in an initial combat and another member of
the crew had attempted to fly the damaged aircraft before it was later abandoned.
Kenneth Whisken was commissioned to P/O on probation on 18th January 1941 (with seniority back dated to 14th January 1941). He rose to F/O exactly a year later.
He was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th March 1942. The citation reads.."This officer has participated in sorties both as second
pilot and as captain of aircraft. He has shown exceptional skill and determination in pressing home his attacks at all time. P/O Whisken has attacked many
important targets in Germany, including Hamburg, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Stettin and Cologne. He has at all times set a courageous example."