Whitley K9043 damaged by flak, returned to Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 19th / 20th March 1940 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft were tasked with an operational flight to bomb the seaplane bases at Hornum, the left base of Dishforth just after 23.00hrs. This aircraft was attacked by an Arado floatplane but they were able to evade the attack and the aircraft did not sustain any damage. On the bombing run the aircraft was then hit by flak which injured the rear gunner in the leg. The pilot made a return to Dishforth and landed safely at 03.25hrs.
Pilot - F/O James Ronald Birch RAF (39430).
Observer - Sgt Lionel Arthur Compton RAF (565482).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (Bomb Aimer) - Sgt Harrison Jackson RAF (528709).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Cpl James Cheyne McIntyre RAF (522777).
Air Gunner - LAC Robert Clifford Hope RAF (531644). Injured.
James Birch was granted a short service commission in the RAF and made P/O on probation on 31st January 1937, he was promoted to F/O on 27th July 1939.
Whitley K9043 was built to contract 522438/36 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and was delivered to 6 MU at Brize Norton on 11th July 1939 and then placed into
long term storage. It was issued to 51 Squadron based at Dishforth on 21st November 1939 and following this flak damage Cat.M/FB was recorded. It was soon
repaired on site and returned to the unit only to be lost a month later with Cat.W(m) being recorded on the airframe. It was believed to have been coded "MH-G"
but it is also listed elsewhere as carrying the "MH-E" code.
Sadly all those listed above were lost on Ops to bomb Aalborg airfield on the night of 22nd / 23rd April 1940 when the same aircraft, Whitley K9043,
was lost without trace. Birch, Jackson and McIntyre were twenty five years old, Compton was a year younger.