Whitley N1486? near Flixton, Scarborough.
On the night of 17th / 18th November 1940 78 Squadron supplied Whitleys to bomb Gelsenkirchen and this aircraft took off at 18.30hrs, the crew are believed to have attacked the Gelsenkirchen target from 10,000 feet. On the return to Yorkshire this aircraft ran low on fuel so a forced landing was made in a field next to the River Hertford near Flixton at between 04.25hrs and 04.40hrs on 18th November 1940 with the weather also being reported
to have been poor at the time.
Pilot - Acting Sub-Lieut Peter John Hoad RN.
Pilot - Sgt Harold Ashley Davis RAFVR (754422).
Observer - P/O James Thomas Houghton.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Harold William Hawksley RAF (651570).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Albert Markland RAFVR (937420).
Sub Lt Peter Hoad RN was one of a number of Naval pilots on attachment with the RAF in the early stages of the War. He flew as second pilot
to F/O D S Robertson on a number of operational flights and was involved in a crash landing at Linton on Ouse in mid-September 1940
flying as second pilot to another squadron pilot. He was Mentioned in Despatches after his death in August 1941 but had been killed on
27th March 1941 on Ops to Dusseldorf in Whitley Z6470. He is buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetery and was twenty two years old.
Harold Hawksley was later awarded the DFM for service with 156 Squadron, Gazetted on 20th April 1943. He was granted a commission on 29th February 1944 and received a Mention in Despatches on 14th June 1945.
Whitley N1486 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton and was allotted to 27 MU on 2nd January 1940. The aircraft was received by them on 7th March 1944 and was then taken on charge by 51 Squadron at Dishforth on 25th May 1940. 78 Squadron then took the aircraft on charge on 17th June 1940 at Linton on Ouse, who then moved to Dishforth on 15th July 1940. On 4th August 1940 it made a forced landing in a field near Market Weighton on return from Ops to Mannheim in poor weather but sustained no damage and it was refuelled on site and flown out. It then sustained Cat.R/FB damage in a forced landing near Scarborough on 18th November 1940. It took some weeks for it to arrive at Marshalls for a repair in works in December 1940. The aircraft was listed as ready and awaiting allocation on 27th November 1941. After being received by 45 MU on 17th January 1943 it sustained Cat.Ac/FA damage in an accident on 14th February 1942 at Kinloss when the undercarriage collapsed when the jacks slippled on wet grass while a wheel was being changed. The aircraft was repaired on site and then issued to 19 OTU on 4th March 1942. The aircraft was written off on 14th August 1942 when it crashed in sea off Findhorn during a cross-country flight with all on board being lost. Cat.E(m) damage was the damage assessment and it was struck off charge on the same date.
