Whitley P4952 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night 20th/21st September 1940 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were tasked with bombing primary targets of Hamm, Soest and Ehrang. They took off at 21.42hrs.
This crew selected Ehrang and bombed twice between 00.23hrs and 00.40hrs from 10,000 feet. The aircraft was hit in the tailplane and rudder by flak by the pilot
was able to make a safe return and land at Leeming without further damage at 04.31hrs and the aircraft was later repaired.
Pilot - F/O Garfield Wallace Prior RAFVR (37611), of Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Second Pilot - Sgt Peter Frank Hickling RAFVR (745012), of Nottingham.
Observer - Sgt Nathaniel White RAFVR (746778).
Wireless Operator - Sgt Alexander James Davie RAF (620056).
Air Gunner - Sgt W Gardiner/Gardner RAF (966766?).
Garfield Prior was born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan in 1914. He joined the RAF in the mid-1930s and was appointed to a commission on 2nd March 1936, taking the rank Acting P/O on probation and was later posted 97 Squadron. He was posted to 10 Squadron on 15th September 1939. He transferred to the Reserve on 6th January 1940 but was immediately called up for service on that date. F/O Prior was awarded the DFC on 22nd October 1940 but no citation for the award has been found. He also rose through the ranks, rising to S/Ldr and was reported missing on 23rd November 1943 flying Stirling EF180 but his date of death is recorded on the CWGC database as being on 22nd January 1944.
Sgt Hickling was awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 6th June 1941. He was granted a commission in the RAFVR on 4th July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation, he was later promoted to F/O (war subs) on 15th May 1942. Having been posted to 218 Squadron he was killed on 9th November 1942. His rank at the time is given as S/Ldr, however there is no listing of this promotion in the London Gazette so I suggest his rank at the time was of an Acting nature. He was twenty eight years old and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery.
Alexander Davie was promoted to the rank of F/Sgt by 30th June 1941 when he was killed flying with 35 Squadron when Halifax L9499 on Ops to Kiel. He was twenty three years old and from Aberdeen.
Nathaniel White received his commission on 11th April 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (145288). He was then promoted to F/O (war subs) on 11th October 1943 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 11th April 1945.
Sgt Gardiner/Gardner became a PoW on 9th May 1941 when Whitley P4946 was ditched off the Dutch coast on return from Ops to Bremen, the whole of his then crew were picked up and all were taken as PoW's. The correct spelling of his name is not yet known as both variations have been located in source documents.
Whitley P4952 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 15th April 1940. It was delivered to 10 Squadron based at Dishforth in the same month during the units conversion from Mk.IV Whitley's. Cat.M/FB damage was recorded following flak damage in May 1940 and the aircraft was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It moved with the unit to Leeming on 8th July 1940 and was again damaged by flak on 21st July 1940 on ops to Dusseldorf and the pilot was again able to make a return to Leeming. It was again repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 21st September 1940 it was slightly damaged by flak on Ops and was soon repaired at base. On 15th October 1940 it sustained Cat.W/FB damage on return from ops to Stettin, short of fuel and lost it was abandoned safely at 05.02hrs over Bellingham, Northumberland.