Whitley N1390 at Driffield airfield.
On 7th July 1940 this 77 Squadron aircraft was damaged following a heavy landing at Driffield after night cross-country training flight. The aircraft struck the railing that surrounded the bomb dump. The crew escaped injury and the aircraft was soon repaired.
Pilot - S/Ldr Geoffrey Twyford Jarman RAF (29211).
Crew - Names unknown.
He rose to command 77 Squadron on 14th August 1940 and later was Commanding Officer of 76 Squadron. The citation for his DFC reads..
“In July 1941, large-scale attacks were made on German warships at Brest and La Pallice (including the "Gneisenau," "Scharnhorst "and "Prinz Eugen ").
A smaller attack was made on Cherbourg. The operations were carried out in daylight and extremely heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire and fighter
opposition were encountered by all aircraft when approaching the targets, which at Brest was protected by a balloon barrage. The air crews engaged
succeeded, nevertheless, in securing direct hits on their objectives and in inflicting very severe damage in the target area. During the combats
with enemy fighters 21 hostile aircraft were destroyed and others were severely damaged. The precise timing of attack by the various formations
of aircraft and their correct approach to and accurate bombing of the objectives in the face of such powerful opposition; demanded great skill
and high courage. The great success of these operations was largely due to the bravery, determination and resource displayed by the following
officers and airmen, who, participated in various capacities as leaders and members of the aircraft crews."
Geoffrey Jarman was born in February 1906, he received a commission to P/O on probation on 19th December 1930, rising to P/O on 29th December 1931, F/O on 29th June
1932, F/Lt on 1st April 1936, S/Ldr on 1st November 1938 and later W/C on 1st March 1941. He was awarded the DFC on 18th April 1941, the DSO on 2nd September 1941 (with
76 Squadron) and was Mentioned in Despatches three times (11th June 1942, 1st January 1943 and 2nd June 1943). He rose to G/C on 23rd December 1943 and later to Acting Air
Commodore and remained in the RAF in the Post-War period before retiring G/C (but not retaining his wartime rank of Air Commodore) on 26th May 1953. He died in 1983.
Whitley N1390 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and was
awaiting collection on 17th October 1939. It was flown into MU storage where it remained until
being issued to 51 Squadron at Dishforth in May 1940 when the unit commenced conversion from Whitley Mk.IV's to Mk.V's. It transferred during the following month to 77 Squadron at Driffield and sustained Cat.M/FA damage at Driffield on 7th July 1940 as stated above. It was repaired on site and returned to the unit later the same month. On 29th July 1940 a flare exploded in the flare chute injuring a member of it's then crew and slightly damaging the aeroplane. On 27th August 1940 Cat.R/FB damage was sustained when it suffered serious damage after landing at Abingdon after returning from Ops to Turin, the crew being safe. Here it was repaired on site by a team from Armstrong Whitworth Ltd and on completion of repair it was taken on charge by 10 OTU at Abingdon, presumably as 77 Squadron had received a replacement for it in the weeks in between. Itthen transferred to 24 OTU at Honeybourne when the unit formed on 15th March 1942 but was destroyed on 1st August 1943 (Cat.E2/FA damage recorded) when it crashed near the airfield at Honeybourne.