On the night of 2nd / 3rd January 1942 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to St.Nazaire, they left Croft at 16.22hrs and almost certainly bombed the target area as ordered. On their return to Yorkshire poor weather had arrived, having flown in thick cloud for some time the crew eventually became lost. They obtained a fix of their position from RAF Church Fenton and a baring was fixed to fly but the accuracy of the crew actually flying on this heading was later questioned. They were still flying in cloud and thinking they were nearer to the Vale of York than they actually were the pilot descended through cloud to try and locate their position to go down and land. At 00.28hrs and with the aircraft still over high ground the aircraft first struck the ground, bounced and then crashed onto Woogill Moor, north of Scarhouse reservoir. Although sustaining injuries all survived and some were able to walk away for help down to Scar village where they arrived over two hours later. Some, if not all were later taken to Harrogate General Hospital.
Whitley Z6656 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton. It was received by 45 MU on 6th April 1941 and was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming on 29th April 1941. On Ops to Dortmund on 8th / 9th June 1941 it received flak damage to the tail fins, port wing and cockpit, it's crew was diverted to land at Silloth and a safe landing was made. The damage cannot have been too severe as it was flown back to Leeming on 10th June 1941 but only because of poor weather across the Pennines earlier. The damage was swiftly repaired as it was next used on Ops on 12th / 13th June 1943 and was very slightly damaged by flak, a safe landed was made at base. It received an assessment for damage by No.43 Group D.A. on 13th June 1941 and was returned to 10 Squadron on 15th June 1941. A day later it was again assessed by No.43 Group D.A. and a repair on site was then made but it took until 8th November 1941 for it to be returned to 10 Squadron. The aircraft appears to have been unwanted so was transferred to 58 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 22nd November 1941 and then on to 78 Squadron at Croft on 24th November 1941. As a result of the crash on the side of Nidderdale in January 1942 Cat.E2/FB damage was the assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge on 7th January 1942.
Pilot - Sgt Jack Albert Daniel Attwell RCAF (R/71699). Injured, broken left leg.
Second Pilot - Sgt Eric Charles Smith RAFVR (931910). Injured.
Observer - P/O Kenneth Blyth RAFVR (101527). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Douglas Johnston RCAF (J/15430). Injured.
Air Gunner - Sgt Victor Edmund Shirley RAF (638894). Injured.
Jack "Bert" Attwell was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 29th April 1918 and was the son of Jack and Nan Attwell. He enlisted into the RCAF in January 1940 and after training he was awarded his Wings in May 1941. A month before being posted from Canada to the UK he married Joyce Parkinson in June 1941. He was posted to 78 Squadron in September 1941. On 19th December 1941 he and Sgt Johnston were involved in the crash landing of Whitley Z9308 at Keanley Sides Farm, near Harwood, Durham after the aircraft lost power in an engine. No injuries were reported. Following the more serious accident on the side of Nidderdale in January 1942 on return from his eleventh operational flight he received the most serious injuries of those on board and spent some time in hospital recovering. When he was released from hospital he was posted back to Canada where he took part in the training of aircrew. Post-War he completed an engineering degree and he worked as an engineer until retiring. He died in London, Ontario on 29th October 2012.
Sgt Eric Smith was killed on 3rd May 1942, he was on board 78 Squadron Halifax R9391 which crashed into the North Sea. His body was washed ashore and he is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany.
Kenneth Blyth received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 29th June 1941. He attended a Bombing Leaders course at Manby in November 1941 and returned to 78 Squadron. He was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 29th June 1942 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 29th June 1943. He rose to become 78 Squadron's navigation officer and for this (while in the rank of Acting F/Lt) he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 11th June 1943 the citation reads.. "In spite of the claims of this officer's duties as squadron navigator officer, he takes part in operational sorties on every possible occasion. This skilled and courageous observer has taken part in sorties against Cologne and Essen, and other strongly fortified targets, with outstanding success."
John Johnston was born in 1919 and lived in Herbert, Nova Scotia when he enlisted in Moncton on 21st June 1940. After initial training he was commissioned in 1941. For service with 78 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Hugh Halliday's RCAF awarded research has found the recommendation for this award dated 21st March 1943, when he had flown twenty eight operational flights. The award was effective from 13th May 1943, it reads.. "This officer has invariably displayed a very keen desire to proceed on operations. Although now mainly employed in the ground organizations, he is at all times willing to fly as wireless operator with any crew and has completed many sorties over the more heavily defended areas of Germany and occupied territory. Throughout his whole career he has displayed high courage and devotion to duty which have been an inspiration to the squadron."
The crash on Woogill Moor occurred on his thirteenth operational flight. His next flight was on 28th April 1942, presumably in the weeks in between he was recovering from these injuries sustained. On 5th June 1942 his aircraft was badly damaged by flak but his pilot was able to return to England and land safely. He was later posted to 427 Squadron and was flying on Ops to Hannover in Halifax NR257 on 5th January 1945 when the aircraft was hit by flak crashed in Germany. He and two others were able to bale out but the four remaining airmen were sadly killed. His escape was fortunate, his parachute had fouled the aircraft and for a time he was dragged down with the aircraft but he was able to free himself and land safely. He was captured and saw out the war as a PoW. His pilot on this flight was one Basil Crew RCAF, who was the pilot of Wellington T2715 which had crashed near Apppleby on the Pennines in August 1942. At this time F/Lt Johnston was 427 Squadron's Signals Leader.
I searched for this site in July 2006 but located just one large piece which I doubt is at the actual crash site. I made the return trip in Summer 2011 but failed to locate anything further. I would therefore welcome any information to confirm the exact crash location. I have heard rumours that items were buried at the crash site by the RAF team tasked with clearing the site and would welcome further information to assist me in recording where this was or if anyone knows precisely where the aircraft crashed.
