Whitley N1462 at Linton on Ouse airfield.
In the early hours of 24th December 1940 this 58 Squadron aircraft was returning from an eleven hour operational flight to bomb Mannheim. On the approach to land the hydraulics failed and the flaps had only reached twenty degrees by the time this failure occurred. Having been in the air for so long and knowing the fuel would be running out and with visibility poor he decided not to fly an overshoot of the airfield. At 04.10hrs the aircraft landed at Linton on Ouse but would not to slowed down enough owing to the flaps not offering much assistance the aircraft overshot the runway and into the boundary fence. The undercarriage collapsed.
Pilot - P/O Norman Frederick Hildyard RAFVR (84917).
? - Sgt Phillips.
? - Sgt Coleman.
? - Sgt Uff.
? - Sgt Hunter Muskett.
Norman Hildyard received a commission on 10th August 1940 (with senioity back date six days) and for service with 58 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted
on 6th June 1941. He was later posted to 83 Squadron and was awarded the Bar to the DFC for service with them, Gazetted on 15th October 1943. He was awarded the DSO
for service with 105 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th July 1945. He was clearly a very able pilot and leader.
Whitley N1462 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 14th December 1939. After a period of MU storage it was taken
on charge by 58 Squadron at Linton on Ouse in March 1940 when the unit began converting from Whitley MkIII's to MkV's. On 19th May 1940 it sustained Cat.M/FA damage when the
undercarriage collapsed on landing at Linton on Ouse after a non-operation flight (detailed on this website). It was then repaired on site and was returned to the unit. On 24th
December 1940 it sustained Cat.M(c)/FB damage in the incident recorded above and it was again repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 18th June 1941 it was shot down on Ops
to Cologne and crashed near Eindhoven with four of the five crew being killed and the fifth becoming a PoW. Cat.W(m) damage was recorded and the aircraft struck off charge.