Unidentified Whitley damaged by flak, landed France. Later returned to Driffield airfield.
On the night of 25th / 26th March 1940 102 Squadron were to supply six aircraft on a reconnaissance flight of German airfields and industrial locations of the Ruhr valley. Five aircraft took off from Driffield between 20.00hrs and 20.48hrs but before the sixth could get into the air the operational order was cancelled. Of the five that got into the air three received wireless messages telling them that they were to return land, of those three that were recalled two landed at Linton on Ouse and one landed at Dishforth. The two Whitleys that did not get the recall order flew the sortie and landed at Thionville-Sister airfield where it was found that one of the Whitleys had received five flak damage holes. I presume that there were no people at Thionville geared up to repair slightly flak damaged Whitleys so it was probably flown back to Driffield once checks had been made to confirm it was fit for the flight.
Pilot - Sgt Robert Thomas Langton RAF (564737).
Second Pilot - Sgt John Hamilton Hopper RAF (518878), of Hornsea, Yorkshire.
Observer - Sgt Edward Binks.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - LAC D Parr.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - AC Lewis.
On 28th October 1944 he was flying Halifax MZ599 on Ops to Walcheren with 76 Squadron. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed into water, sadly the
whole crew were killed and their bodies not recovered. He is commemorated on the walls of the Runnymede Memorial. He was thirty years old. He was Mentioned in
Despatches twice, once on 8th June 1944 and again after his death on 1st January 1945. He was also awarded the AFC after his death on 1st January 1945.
Sgt John Hopper was killed on 1st May 1940 still serving with 102 Squadron when Whitley N1500 crashed on Hill of Foudland, Scotland. He
is buried at Doncaster Rose Hill Cemetery, he was twenty three years old.
Robert Langton was almost certainly born in Hull in 1914. He was flying Whitley N1502 on 12th / 13th July 1940 on Ops to Emden when he
ditched off Cromer on the return. All this crew were picked up by a trawler and landed at Yarmouth. He was awarded the DFM for service with 102
Squadron as F/Sgt, (Gazetted on 13th September 1940). He
was granted a commission and took the rank P/O on probation on 10th June 1941. He rose through the ranks, he was made F/O on probation on 1st April 1942, F/Lt
(war subs) on 1st April 1943, S/Ldr (tempy) on 10th February 1943, S/Ldr (war subs) on 7th December 1943 and to acting W/C on an unknown date.