Whitley N1407 damaged by flak, returned to Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 11th / 12th May 1940 this was one of the 51 Squadron aircraft that were tasked with an operational flight to bomb Munchengladbach, this aircraft sustained flak damage to the fuselage but was able to return safely to Dishforth
and land without further damage at 03.35hrs.
Pilot - S/Ldr Peter Alexander Gilchrist RAF (37348).
Navigator - Sgt Murray (749164).
Observer - Sgt Welsh Foster (522494).
Wireless Operator - LAC Albert James Heller (552112).
Air Gunner - AC Mitchell.
Welsh Foster was awarded the DFM on 30th July 1940 and received a commission on 6th January 1941 (with seniority of 1st October 1940). He survived the War. Post-war he remained in the RAF into the 1950s having being was awarded the Air Force Cross on 1st January 1948.
Albert Heller was Mentioned in Despatches on 11th July 1940 and awarded the DFM but the date of this award is not yet known. He was killed flying with 35 Squadron on 26th July 1941 when Halifax L9507 was shot down over Berlin, he is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
Whitley N1407 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection in November 1939, it was delivered into MU storage where it
remained until being issued to 51 Squadron at Dishforth in May 1940 when the unit began to convert from Whitley MkIV's to MkV's. Cat.M/FB was recorded following the incident
detailed above and it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It later transferred to 78 Squadron at Dishforth around the 15th July 1940 when the unit moved in to Dishforth
from Linton on Ouse. On 7th April 1941 78 Squadron moved to Middleton St.George but N1407 remained behind at Dishforth. In April 1941 it was transferred to 10 OTU at Abingdon
but appears to have been immediately converted to a ground instructional airframe (flying) and it remained at Abingdon. In May 1943 it was re-serialled 3650M and after this nothing more is known of the airframe.
Hugh Halliday's superb research into Canadian Air Force awards adds a great deal of information into Peter Gilchrist life, he was born in Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada on 1st August 1910
and when he enlisted he was living in Port Pelly, Saskatchewan. He was appointed to a Commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on Probation on 7th October 1935, rising to F/O in 1938,
F/Lt in April 1940, S/Ldr in May 1940 and W/C in June 1942. He was serving with 51 Squadron at the outbreak of war where he remained until July 1940 and was awarded the DFC with
51 Squadron (Gazetted on 31st May 1940). He was later posted to 35 Squadron in November 1940 and to command 405 Squadron on 20st May 1941. On 24th July 1941 he was the pilot of
Wellington W5551 which failed to return from Ops but he evaded capture and returned to the UK within a year. For his evading capture he was Mentioned in Despatches on 11th June
1942 but the recommendation researched by Mr Halliday gives extra information into the events leading to his year in Europe, it reads.. "This officer was captain of a Wellington aircraft which bombed Brest on 24th July 1941. Shortly afterwards they were
attacked by an enemy aircraft and compelled to bale out. On landing he immediately hid in a wood and, travelling by night
and hiding by day, crossed the Mountains d'Aree on 28th July. He then went to Nantes and on 25th August left Nantes to
make his way to Switzerland which he reached, after crossing Lake Geneva in a rowing boat on 30th August. He remained in
Geneva until 12th January 1942 when he left to travel to Gibraltar via Madrid. He was repatriated from Gibraltar on 27th January 1942." This MiD recommendation began life as a DSO recommendation but the DSO was not granted. He then took a role in Ferry Command and commanded 53 Squadron in 1944. On
26th February 1945 he transferred to the RCAF (C/89584) and remained in the RCAF in the post-War period. He then rose to the rank of Air Commodore before retiring 21st December 1962.