Whitley N1497 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 20th / 21st July 1940 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb an aircraft factory near Wenzendorf in Northern Germany. The aircraft sustained minor flak damage but the pilot was able to return safely to Leeming at 04.40hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Douglas Watson Green RAF (564716).
Second Pilot - P/O Kenneth Hesketh Higson RAFO (70305).
Observer - Sgt Henry John Davis RAF (580766).
Wireless Operator - Sgt Arthur Millington RAF (580352).
Air Gunner - Sgt R Myers RAF (624594).
The only Sgt Green who was a pilot with 10 Squadron in mid-1940 was, on 15th August 1940, flying Whitley N1497 on Ops to Milan when the aircraft was shot down over Italy, he became
a PoW. Normally aircrew were not granted commissions while a PoW. Also with him on this night in N1497 were Sgt Millington and Sgt Davis (who also became PoW's) and P/O Higson who sadly died.
Douglas Green was appointed to a commission in the RAF as P/O on probation (emergency) on 24th April 1944 (55825), he was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 22nd October 1944. He remained
in the RAF until 23rd September 1958 when he relinquished his commisison in the RAF under the terms of his commission.
Henry Davis managed to escape from captivity in September 1943 and evade capture, he returned to England but as Warrant Officer he died on 28th October 1944. The reasons surrounding
his death are not known. He was twenty six years old and was cremated at Canley Crematorium, Coventry, Warwickshire. He was married to Barbara Davis of Braddan, Isle of Man.
Kenneth Higson was granted a commission in Class AA(ii) as P/O on probation in the RAF Reserve (RAFO) on 25th July 1932 and was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 25th July 1933. He was
promoted to F/O on 25th January 1934. After this date nothing conclusive has been found about his service apart from a Sub-Lieut. K.H.Higson RNR was promoted to Lieut in November 1937
and it is therefore possible that he transferred from the RAF to the Navy for a time in the 1930s before being called up for RAF service in mid-1939. He was definitely the son in law of
Eric Rucker Eddison CB;
a reasonably famous 20th Century author.
Whitley N1497 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and awaiting collection on 31st January 1940 and was delivered to 10 Squadron who were based at
Dishforth during the first week of February 1940. On 8th July 1940 it moved with the unit to Leeming. Following the flak incident detailed above Cat.M/FB was recorded and it was
repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 16th August 1940 it failed to return from Ops to Milan, the pilot named above and three others were taken prisoner while the co-pilot
sadly was died. Cat.W(m) damage was recorded on the airframe.