Whitley N1390 damaged in the air, landed at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 28th / 29th July 1940 this 77 Squadron aircraft was one of a number of 77 Squadron aircraft tasked with bombing the aircraft factory at Wismar. The aircraft took off from Driffield at 20.40hrs and low cloud effected the crew locating the target area. This crew eventually released their bomb load over the target from 10,000 feet but when a flare was dropped down the flare chute it exploded in the tube and in blowing back into the aircraft it injured the air gunner who had dropped down it. He received injuries to the leg and arm. The aircraft landed safely at Driffield at 05.00hrs and the injured airman was taken to hospital.
Pilot - P/O Andrew Woodrow Dunn RAF (41685).
Second Pilot - P/O Charles James Drogo Montagu RAF (41863).
Observer - Sgt Bernard Leonard Savill RAF (581475).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Bain. Injured.
Air Gunner - P/O Leslie Walter James Watt RAF (76929).
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. 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. It then 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.