Whitley P4957 damaged by flak, landed at Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 2nd / 3rd July 1940 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were undertaking Ops to attack railway marshalling yards at Hamm when the aircraft was hit
by flak in the tail, the crew did not drop the whole of their bomb load and returned to Yorkshire and made a safe landing in the early hours of 3rd July
1940 at 05.13hrs. The damage was later repaired. The aircraft had set out from the dispersal airfield of Topcliffe at 21.30hrs. Prior to take off crews were
instructed to land at Topcliffe unless the aircraft was required "for inspection" and in which case they would land at Dishforth.
Pilot - S/Ldr Desmond Patrick Hanafin RAF (33087).
Second Pilot - Sgt Douglas Watson Green RAF (564716).
Observer - Sgt Clive Douglas-Browne RAF (581209)
Wireless Operator - Sgt John Thompson RAF (524716).
Air Gunner - Sgt Samuel Reginald Oldridge RAF (617538).
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.
Desmond Hanafin was awarded a Prize Cadetship following successful examinations in November 1931 for entry to RAF Cranwell while studying at Beaumont College,
Old Windsor. He completed the course at Cranwell and was granted a permanent commission as P/O with effect and seniority of 16th December 1933. He was serving
with 10 Squadron by September 1935 when a photograph of him with the squadron appeared in Flight Magazine but was posted elsewhere before returning to 10 Squadron
at a later date. He was promoted to F/O on 16th July 1935 and F/Lt on 16th July 1937. He married in Marylebone, London in 1938. He was awarded the DFC for
service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 13th September 1940. He rose to W/Co (temp) on 1st September 1941. W/Co (war subs) on 2nd June 1945 then to W/Co on 1st
October 1946 and later to G/Cpt on 1st July 1953. He was also awarded the Air Force Cross, Gazetted on 1st January 1944 and was granted a CBE on 31st May 1956. He rose to the position of Commanding Officer of the Experimental Flying Department at RAE Farnborough in 1958, as position he held until retiring from the
RAF in early 1963. He died in Surrey in 1982.
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.
John Thompson was killed on 31st May 1942 while flying in Wellington DV707 on the Thousand Bomber raid on Cologne, the aircraft was shot down by a
night-fighter and crashed in Holland. He appears to have been serving with 26 OTU at the time. He was twenty four years old and is now buried in Jonkerbos
War Cemetery, Holland.
Samuel Oldridge is credited as being the first Bomber Command rear gunner to shoot down an enemy aircraft, done so on the night of 27th/28th May 1940. He
later served with 50 Squadron and was serving with them when he was awarded the DFM, Gazetted on 15th June 1943. He was later granted a commission on 2nd March
1943 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (52769), rising to F/O on probation (war subs) on 2nd September 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 2nd March 1945. He
remained in the RAF post-war before retiring on 1st January 1955 after serving in the Technical Branch since January 1947.
Clive Douglas-Browne was on board Whitley N1483 on Ops to Berlin on 1st October 1940 when the aircraft totally overshot England on return and was forced
to ditch in the Irish Sea. He was granted a commission in the RAF on 16th April 1944 to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) (54639). He was promoted to
F/O (war subs) and to F/Lt (war subs) on 16th April 1946. He remained in the RAF and later the RAF Reserve of Officers after the War and finally relinquished
his commission on 15th May 1960 retaining the rank of F/Lt. He married in Kensington, London in 1968 and died in Eastbourne, Surrey in 1995.
Whitley P4957 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection in mid-April 1940. It was allotted to 10 Squadron on 19th April 1940 and was taken on charge by them at Dishforth on 8th May 1940. It was involved in a mishap while taking off from Dishforth on 17th May 1940 when one of the crew accidentally raised the undercarriage. Cat.M/FA damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. The aircraft's AM Form 78 states that on 1st June 1940 it sustained Cat.I damage and the repair was complete on 6th June 1940. What this relates to isn't exactly certain. It may relate to the minor damage sustained at Cold Kirby two weeks earlier though it does seem a long time to be sat in limbo. The tail of the aircraft was again slightly damaged by flak on 2nd July 1940 but the pilot was able to return to Dishforth where repairs were carried out. It was again damaged by flak 21st September 1940 and was repaired on site at Leeming. On 30th October 1940 the aircraft flew into high ground on return from Ops to Wilhelmshaven on moorland three miles from Slaggyford, Northumberland and thankfully its then crew all survived. Cat.W/FB damage was the damage assesement and it was struck off charge.