Whitley N1420 at Driffield airfield.
The crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Driffield at 21.01hrs to undertake an operational flight to Bapaume, France on 25th May 1940. On their return to Driffield at 03.14hrs on the 26th May 1940 the aircraft's flaps were ineffectice, with little wind to slow them the aircraft overshot the runway despite the pilot braking hard and it ran through a hedge and into a ditch.
Pilot - Sgt John James Gale RAF (580307).
? - P/O Allan Douglas Frampton RAF (42210).
? - Sgt William Ernest Hool RAF (581223).
? - AC1 George Oliver Maughan RAF (631605).
? - AC2 Thomas Henry Pegram RAF (632154).
John Gale was later awarded the DFM in January 1941 for service with 102 Squadron. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 4th January 1941 and rose to F/O
on 4th January 1942. It seems very likely that he was posted to 22 OTU to instruct in Spring 1942 and on 25th May 1942 he was the pilot of Wellington AD625 which was struck on the
ground by Wellington DV840 at Stratford on Avon airfield. Of the seven airmen on board his aircraft five died and he and one other sustained serious injuries including burns. He spent
many months receiving treatment for these injuries and the Beverley newspaper records that he died on 23rd November 1943 while having what was to have been his final operation. He is
buried in Beverley (St. Mary's) Churchyard, Yorkshire, and was twenty seven years old.
Whitley N1420 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 10th November 1939. It was
issued immediately to 102 Squadron based at Driffield who were re-equipping with Whitley MkV's. It sustained Cat.M/FA damage on 12th January 1940 at Driffield and was repaired on site and returned to the unit. Following the damage at Driffield on 26th May 1940 Cat.M/FB damage was recorded and again the aircraft was repaired on site
and returned to the unit. It was destroyed in the air raid at Driffield on 15th August 1940.
Allan Frampton was born in Willesden, Middlesex in 1919. He was granted a commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on 10th June 1939 and was graded as P/O on probation
on 18th November 1939 and confirmed in the rank of P/O on 17th April 1940. He was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th May 1941. He was promoted to F/O on
18th November 1940. On 27th July 1941 he died while flying Anson R3306 on an Army Co-operation exercise named "Battle of Reading", the aircraft crashed near tilehurst, Berkshire with
the loss of the four crew. He is buried Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
George Maughan was born in Darlington in 1918. He was awarded the DFM for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 11th February 1941.
He received a commission to P/O on probation (emergency) on 6th August 1942 but was killed on 9th September 1942 serving with 62 Squadron and is commemorated
on the Singapore Memorial. He was twenty two years old.
Thomas Pegram was born in Lanchester, Co.Durham in 1919. He was posted missing on 29th October 1940 while still serving with 102 Squadron flying in Whitley P5082 on Ops to Bremen. He
is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
It is very likely that the W E Hool listed above was one William Hool born in Belper in 1918. he received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency)
on 7th April 1942. He was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 7th October 1942 and F/Lt (war subs) on 7th April 1944. He was awarded the DFC for service with 462 Squadron, Gazetted
on 15th October 1943.