Whitley P4961 damaged by flak, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 11th / 12th August 1940 the crew of this aircraft were tasked with ops to Gelsenkirchen and left Leeming at 20.41hrs, the aircraft was hit
by flak in the tail but the pilot was able to make a safe return to Leeming and land at 05.00hrs. The aircraft was later repaired. None of the
crew were injured. On this night 10 Squadron were dropping incendiary bombs known as "razzles". This type of incendiary was a made from pills of phospherous
covered in gauze and placed between pieces of celluloid, while in the aircraft they were carried in containers topped up with water. When released down the
flare chute they had a habit of lodging themselves in the tail plane of the Whitley and in the rudder hinges of the aircraft but did not catch fire immediately
as they were wet. The aircraft landed safely at Leeming but when the incendiary bombs dried out they ignited. In the case of Whitley P4961 the damage is
believed to have just been down to flak, however at four 10 Squadron aircraft on this raid were hit by flak and of the eight aircraft being used, six
sustained damage by the incendiaries catching fire on landing. The identities of some of these aircraft are not yet known though Whitley
P4961 was probably one of these.
Pilot - P/O Keith James Somerville RAF (41486).
Second Pilot - Sgt H R Willis RAFVR (741942).
Observer - Sgt Gilbert Bell RAF (580995).
Wireless Operator - Sgt R F Jackson RAF (550310).
Air Gunner - P/O Albert Ernest Victor Oliver RAFVR (76923).
Albert Oliver received a commisison to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 30th December 1939 and was graded as P/O on probation 2nd March 1940. He
became a PoW as a result of Whitley N1497 failing to return from Ops to Milan on the night of 15th/16th August 1940 when the aircraft crashed in Italy. He was
confirmed in the rank of P/O on 30th December 1940 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 2nd March 1941 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 2nd March 1942. The London
Gazette has a reference to him transferring to the Admin and Special Duties Branch on 20th December 1944 though this was later cancelled. He remained in the
RAFVR post-war until he relinquished his commission on 30th December 1955, retaining the rank of F/Lt. He wrote the book "Kriegie" which was published in 1998
and details his wartime exploits.
Gilbert Bell was granted a commission as P/O on probation (emergency) on 20th December 1941 (47578), he was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st
October 1942. As Acting F/Lt and while serving with 9 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 7th December 1943. He was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on
20th December 1943. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 14th January 1944. On 10th May 1944 he was flying in Lancaster LM520 on Ops to Lille when the aircraft
was shot down by a night-fighter near Forest-Sur-Margue, France. It seems likely that his body was recovered and buried locally but name is now listed on the
Runnymede Memorial. By searching the internet for this airman a posting by his brother on a webforum in 2005 was found, he stated that he had a copy of a
letter to his father from the Air Ministry in 1947 stating that Gilbert's body was buried in Forest-Sur-Marque Communal Cemetery. It is likely that the
Post-War wargraves investigation team could not identify his body when they exhumed his remains so he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Keith Somerville was granted a commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on an unknown date. He was graded as P/O on probation on 3rd September
1939 and confirmed in the rank of P/O on 6th October 1939. He was promoted to F/O on 3rd September 1940 and was awarded the DFC for service with 10
Squadron, Gazetted on 22nd November 1940. He was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 3rd September 1941 and to S/Ldr (war subs) on 18th December 194,
then to W/Co (war subs) on 1st September 1945. After serving with 10 Squadron he was later posted to the Wireless Development Unit (later renamed 109
Squadron) at Boscombe Down and was part of the team behind the development of the OBOE blind bombing system. He was awarded the AFC for this work as
Acting W/Co, Gazetted on 1st January 1944. He was later posted to commanded 105 Squadron and in March 1945 he was awarded the DSO service with 105
Squadron, the award was Gazetted on 27th April 1945 and the citation reads.. Acting "Group Captain Somerville has a long and distinguished record
of operational flying, having completed more than 100 sorties, most of them against well defended targets. He has displayed a high degree of skill
throughout and his example of coolness and courage in the face of the fiercest enemy fire has inspired all with whom he has flown. His sterling
qualities have been reflected in the efficiency and fine fighting spirit of the squadron he commands." He died in September 2004.
Sgt R F Jackson was later posted to 35 Squadron and became a PoW on the night of 7th/8th June 1941 when Halifax L9502 failed to return from Ops to Frankfurt.
Nothing is known about Sgt Willis after his time with 10 Squadron other than he was Mentioned in Despatches on 14th June 1945 while in the rank of Warrant Officer.
Whitley P4961 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 at Dishforth on 19th April 1940 amd was taken on charge by them at Dishforth on 8th May 1940 during their conversion from Mk.IV Whitley's to MkV's. Following flak damage on 18th May 1940 Cat.M/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site.. The aircraft then moved with the unit to Leeming 8th July 1940. It was damaged by flak on 12th August, Cat.M/FB damage being the damage assessment. Again it was repaired on site and returned to the unit. On 8th / 9th September 1940 the aircraft was being flown on Ops to Bremen when the rear gunner baled out over Germany slightly damaging it. It was swiftly repaired on site It was damaged again a few days later by flak on 17th / 18th September 1940. On 21st October 1940 it suffered minor battle damage and was repaired (possibly at Cold Kirby if the damage prevented the aircraft being ferried back to Leeming). On 21st December 1940 the aircraft was returning from ops to Berlin when it was abandoned near Harleston, Suffolk and its then crew escaped injury. The aircraft was written of as a result of this incident. The aircraft was struck off charge on 2nd January 1941 when the paperwork caught up.