Whitley N1350 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
At 16.00hrs on 15th March 1940 this 78 Squadron aircraft was being taxied around Linton on Ouse airfield prior to taking off. The aircraft ran into soft ground at the side of the runway which caused the tail wheel to bounce and then collapse.
Pilot - F/O Frank Aikens RAF (37490).
Crew - Names unknown.
Whitley N1350 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and issued to 78 Squadron at Dishforth in September 1939 when the unit
began conversion from Whitley MkI's and MkIV's. It then moved with the unit to Linton On Ouse on 15th October 1939. It was damaged in a landing accident at Linton on Ouse in
late-December 1939 with Cat.M/FA damage recorded. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It again sustained Cat.M(c)/FA damage it the incident detailed above in March 1940
and was again repaired on site
and returned to the unit. It later transferred to 10 OTU at Abingdon on an unknown date and later transferred to 24 OTU at Honeybourne. It then passed into MU storage in April 1944
when 24 OTU finished using Whitleys and was struck off charge on 28th June 1944 and broken up to be re-used in the war effort (RTP).
Frank Aikens was made F/Lt on 25th May 1940. He transferred to 58 Squadron on 23rd June 1940 and was the pilot of Whitley P4951 which was damaged in a landing at Thornaby
in that month (detailed on this website). He was Mentioned in Despatches on 1st January 1941, he rose to S/Ldr (temp) in September 1941 and was awarded the AFC on 24th September 1941. He then
rose to S/Ldr (war subs) on 14th June 1942, to W/C (temp) on 1st July 1943 and then to W/C (war subs) on 6th October 1944. He remained in the RAF post-War and having his rank
of W/C being made permanent in July 1948 he was awarded the Bar to the AFC on 8th June 1950. He retired on 26th December 1957 as a W/C but retained the rank of G/C. While he
was still serving in the RAF he was partly responsible for the re-starting of motor-racing in England after the War. He was one of the organisers of a meeting at RAF
Gransden Lodge in July 1947 which was effectively the first meeting sice the War. In this meeting he entered and drove a self-built car, the Aikens 500cc IFS, while he was
stationed at Swinderby. The two photographs of him shown here were found on the internet.
