Whitley Z9389 near North Cowton.
This 78 Squadron aircraft took off from Croft at 18.09hrs on 13th March 1942 to undertake an operational flight to Boulogne. On the return to Croft the pilot was having difficulty in landing the aircraft and on his fifth attempt to land at 00.40hrs on 14th March he approached too fast and overshot the runway. The aircraft ran over the boundary hedge into fields beyond and hit a number of trees, it then caught fire and sadly a number of the crew were sadly killed. This aircraft and one other lost on the same night were the last two 78 Squadron Whitleys lost before the squadron converted to fly the Halifax.
Whitley Z9389 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was received by 38 MU on 22nd November 1941. It was taken on charge by 78 Squadron shortly after acceptance on 26th January 1943. As a result of the crash near North Cowton on 14th March 1942 Cat.E2/FB Burnt damage was the assessment and it was struck off charge on 15th March 1943.
Pilot - P/O Cecil Frank Ferris RAFVR (106220), aged 33, of Regents Park, London. Buried Western Cemetery, Darlington, Durham.
Second Pilot - Sgt Robert Curragh Bell RAF (655176), aged 26, of Forest Gate, Essex. Buried Western Cemetery, Darlington, Durham.
Observer - Sgt Noel Thomas Gander RAFVR (1250546), aged 21, of Hurstpierpoint. Buried Hurstpierpoint New Cemetery, Sussex.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Ivor Evans Davies RAFVR (952765). Died of injuries on 15th March 1942. Aged 25, of Quinton, Birmingham. Cremated Perry Bar, Birmingham.
Air Gunner - Sgt Maurice Arthur Hentall RAFVR (911567). Injured.
P/O Ferris' grave in Darlington's Western Cemetery. Cecil Ferris was the son of William and Lilian Ferris and the stepson of Lt.Col. Raymond Hartmann, Royal Artillery, of Regents Park, London. He received a commission in the RAF on 6th September 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency). Cecil Ferris' brother F/Lt John Outerson William Kenneth Ferris (77931) died on active service with the RAF in September 1941 with 142 Squadron.
Sgt Bell's grave in Darlington's Western Cemetery.
Air historians Albert Pritchard, Eric Barton and Ken Reast located small fragments on the surface at the crash site in October 1999 with permission from the landowner confirming the crash location. The photograph above shows small fragments retained by Eric Barton, presumably to clean with a hope of finding identification numbers. These items subsequently passed through me and are now with the Whitley Project.
Nothing more is known of any of the rest of this crew.
