Whitley N1524 damaged by flak, returned to Driffield airfield.
On the night of 25th / 26th May 1940 the crew in this 102 Squadron aircraft were in the process of attacking road and rail communication in the Bapaume area of France when the aircraft was hit by
flak which damaged the starboard engine oil pipe. The aircraft bombed the road between Le-Cateau and Guise and made for home landing safely at Driffield at 03.40hrs.
Pilot - P/O William Condie McArthur DFM RAF (43694), of Ashtead, Surrey.
Second Pilot - P/O Donald Urquart Lowson RAF (41306), of Norbreck. Blackpool, Lancashire.
Observer - Sgt Arthur Charles Jepps RAF (580897).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - LAC Arthur Stokes (551369).
Air Gunner - AC2 E Pike.
William McArthur joined the RAF way back in 1928. He had flown with 102 Squadron on their first operational flight of the War, he was awarded the DFM in May 1940 and was
Mentioned in Despatches in February 1941. He had risen to F/O (war subs) on 1st April 1941 but in the rank of Acting S/Ldr he died on 27th June 1941, flying with 102 Squadron
in Whitley Z6572 on Ops to Bremen. He is buried in Sage War Cemetery and was twenty nine years old.
Arthur Jepps was probably born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire in 1913. He received a commission on 1st May 1941 (with seniority of 16th April 1941) to the rank of P/O on probation. He
rose to F/O on 1st May 1942 (with seniority of 16th April 1942) and to F/Lt (war subs) on 1st May 1943 (with seniority of 16th April 1943). He was killed on 12th July 1943 serving with
207 Squadron flying in Lancaster ED412 on Ops to Turin, the aircraft crashed in Switzerland. He is buried in Vevey Cemetery, Switzerland. He was twenty nine years old.
Arthur Stokes was awarded the DFM for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 17th January 1941. He was later posted to 138 Squadron for Special Operations duties and was killed on
14th March 1943 flying in Halifax BB281. He is buried in Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany. He was never commissioned.
Donald Lowson was born in the Edmonton area of Middlesex in 1913. He was granted a commission of Acting P/O on probation on 29th October 1938 and was graded as P/O on 29th August
1939. He was later promoted to F/O on 3rd September 1940. He was awarded the DFC for service with 102 Squadron. After completing a tour with 102 Squadron he was posted to 10 OTU to
instruct. He died on 7th July 1941 while serving with 10 OTU flying Whitley Z6476 on a night navigation exercise when the aircraft hit a barrage balloon cable near Stratford on Avon
and crashed with the loss of the six crew. He was twenty eight years old and is buried in Harrow Churchyard, Middlesex.
Whitley N1524 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 20th March 1940. After a short spell in MU storage it was
allocated to 97 Squadron on 1st May 1940 who were reforming at Driffield. The unit never received any aircraft and was disbanded on 20th May 1940. In the mean time
N1524 was re-allocated to 102 Squadron also at Driffield. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded following the flak damage as detailed above.
It was repaired on site and returned to the unit before being transferred to 77 Squadron also at Driffield in August 1940. It then
moved with this unit to Linton on Ouse on 28th August 1940 and a further move with unit took place on 5th October 1940 to Topcliffe. It
later transferred to 10 OTU at Abingdon on an as yet unknown date in 1941 and then transferred to the newly formed 24 OTU at
Honeybourne on 15th March 1942. By April 1944 it was back in MU storage as 24 OTU no longer operated Whitley's. It was later struck off charge
and broken up and "Returned to Produce" on 17th May 1944.