Whitley P4960 damaged by flak, returned to Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 21st / 22nd May 1940 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were tasked with bombing Julich railway station and left base at 20.49hrs. While over the target
the aircraft was hit by fragments of a shell in rear of aircraft, rear gunner sustained injuries to his arm and the hydralic pipeline to the rear of the fuselage
was shattered putting the turret out of action. The pilot was able to make a safe return and at Dishforth at 03.55hrs and rear gunner taken to hospital where his
wound was found not as serious as first thought. The aircraft was later repaired.
Pilot - F/O Henry Vernon Smith RAF (39692), of St.Michael, Barbados.
Second Pilot - F/O Alfred Peter Gresham Hyde RAF (37811).
Observer - Sgt Henry Jack Godfrey RAF (580773).
Wireless Operator - LAC Llewellyn Roberts RAF (551675).
Rear Gunner - AC1 John Powell Atkinson RAF (551792). Injured.
Whitley P4960 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 23rd April 1940. It was taken on charge by
10 Squadron at Dishforth a few days later a replacement for K9034 and coded "ZA-S", as all Mk.IV Whitley's were being fazed out of front line service with 10
Squadron at the time. This battle damage is not listed in it's history and the only reference to it is in the squadron ORB. It was soon repaired but was destroyed,
with Cat.W/FB damage recorded, when it crashed on return from Ludwigshafen on 20th June 1940. Many of the crew on this night were the same as the battle damage
incident listed above. F/O Smith attempted a forced landing at Ampton Park, near Honington airfield, Bury St. Edmunds but struck trees and crashed, sadly F/O
Smith died and Sgt's Godfrey and Roberts were injured.
Henry Smith received a commission on an unknown date (unknown to this researcher due to the common nature of his surname), he was promoted to F/O on 8th
September 1939. He was twenty five years old and is buried at Honington Churchyard, Suffolk.
John Atkinson was born in Hull in 1920, he returned to 10 Squadron after being injured in the incident in May 1940 as recorded above. On the night of 7th/8th
July 1940 he was flying in Whitley N1496 which was shot down off Heligoland while on Ops to Kiel. He was rescued and taken prisoner but after he escaped briefly
in September 1940 he saw out the rest of the war as a PoW.
Alfred Hyde received a commission on 4th May 1936 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation and was posted to 78 Squadron in December 1936. He was later graded
as P/O on 9th March 1937. He was promoted to F/O on an unknown date, probably in 1938. He rose to F/Lt on 3rd September 1940. Under the terms of his commission
he transferred to the RAFO in 1941 and later transferred to the Admin and Special Duties Branch of the RAFO on 9th March 1944. He was later promoted to S/Ldr (temp)
on 1st July 1944.
Henry Godfrey was granted a commission in the RAF on 24th July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation (46212) and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 24th July
1942. On 6th January 1943 he was flying with a detchment of 10 OTU in Whitley BD272 on a A.S.Patrol off Cornwall armed with depth charges, the aircraft failed
to return and no trace of it was ever found. His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was married and twenty two years old.
Llewellyn Roberts was born in Welshpool in 1920 and joined the RAF in 1937. He was later posted to 161 Squadron and was awarded the DFM for service with them,
Gazetted on 14th May 1943. Part of the recommendation for the DFM reads.. "Flight Sergeant Roberts has flown operations since the beginning of the war. A first
class wireless operator he inspires confidence in all with whom he flies. This airman has proved to be a most valuable member of air crew." He was lost flying with 161 Squadron in Halifax DG406 on 12th June 1943 on an SOE flight to France and is commemorated on the Runnmede Memorial, he was twenty three years old. His medal set sold at auction in 2011.