Whitley P4972 at Dishforth airfield.
In the early hours of 30th October 1940 the crew of this 51 Squadron aircraft were returning from Ops having bombed Meresburg. Just prior to this aircraft attempting a landing another aircraft had crashed at Dishforth on the more suitable runway given the wind conditions, because this runway was then blocked the flare oath was then changed to direct aircraft in to land on a different ruwnay. Unfortunately a cross wind effected the approach and the pilot of P4972 struggled to keep the aircraft on a straight line. The aircraft undershot on landing at Dishforth airfield at 04.00hrs and was damaged. Sadly the second pilot died of his injuries in Harrogate Hospital and the remaining crew also sustained injuries.
Pilot - P/O Norman Edward Sharp RAF (43046), of Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa. Injured.
Second Pilot - Sgt John Raymond Brown RAFVR (745568), aged 20, of Blackpool. Buried Blackburn Cemetery, Lancashire.
Observer - Sgt Douglas Henry Crocker RAFVR (755895). Injured.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Albutt Britain RAF (634328). Uninjured.
Air Gunner - P/O Stephen Storey RAF (78693). Uninjured.
On the night of 2nd / 3rd July 1940 the aircraft was being flown on Ops to Hamm with a last resort target being Waalhaven aerodrome. During the course of the night the crew were over-flying what they believed was a dummy airfield when the pilot had to take violent evasive action to avoid a collision with another aircraft, the Whitley went into a spin and believing that he had lost control he immediately ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft. F/O Harold Morrey Selwyn RAF (39575) baled out but control was then regained and the order to bale out was cancelled. The remaining four crew flew the aircraft back to Dishforth and landed safely. F/O Selwyn did not survive but he has no known grave so is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Selwyn was a pilot with 78 Squadron in 1939 but the 51 Squadron records for this loss list him as being a bomb aimer.
Norman Sharp was granted a commission as Acting P/O on probation on 23rd March 1940, graded as P/O on probation on 13th July 1940 and on 25th September
1940 he was confirmed as P/O. As Acting F/Lt he was awarded the DFC for service with 51 Squadron, Gazetted on 18th July 1941. He had risen to F/O (War Subs)
five days previously. He rose to F/Lt (war Subs) on 13th July 1942 having been posted to 159 Squadron prior to this to fly a second Tour. On 19th July 1942
he was pilot of Liberator AL554 on Ops to Tobruk, the aircraft may have been damaged over the target area by an enemy fighter. The crew were unable to locate
their base of St.Jean and ran out of fuel trying to locate Lydda near Tel Aviv. The aircraft crashed while force landing in Hadera, Palestine. All but one
of the eight man crew died and F/Lt Sharp was twenty three years old and is buried in Khayat Beach War Cemetery, Israel.
Sgt Douglas Crocker was later awarded the DFM for service with 51 Squadron on 22nd August 1941. He later received his commission on 20th March 1942 to
the rank of P/O on Probation (emergency). He rose to F/O on probation (war subs) on 1st October 1942 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 20th March 1944. He survived
the War. He was possibly born in Newton Abbot, Devon in 1918, and married in Liverpool in 1944. There is no record of him on the English and Welsh deaths
index at the time of updating this webpage in 2012 suggesting that he is still living.
Stephen Storey was graded as P/O on probation on 7th May 1940. Acting F/Lt Storey was later posted
to 104 Squadron and was awarded the DFC on 7th April 1942. He survived the War and remained in the RAF until the mid-1950's.
Albutt Brittain was killed on 28th January 1942 when 138 Squadron Whitley crashed in the North Sea. he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Whitley P4972 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd, at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 3rd May 1940. It was delivered new to
51 Squadron at Dishforth a few days later. The aircraft had a mishap free existence unit 30th October 1940 when it crashed at Dishforth and Cat.W/FB damage
was recorded. The airframe was so badly damaged it was struck off charge on the same day.