Whitley P4994 at Leeming airfield.
On 22nd December 1940 this 10 Squadron aircraft was taking off at night from Leeming airfield for the crew to undertake a local night circuits and landings flying practice when the aircraft failed to get airborne and struck the roof of a farm house at Newton Picot, close to the airfield at 19.07hrs. The aircraft the stalled and crashed soon after with the wreckage then catching fire. Sadly one member of the crew died as a result of the accident.
Whitley P4994 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 15th May 1940. After a period of MU storage
it was taken on charge by 10 Squadron based at Leeming in July or August 1940 as a replacement for P4964 "ZA-U" which was transferred to 78 Squadron at Dishforth.
It was slightly damaged on Ops twice in September 1940. As a result of the accident on 22nd December 1940 at Leeming detailed above Cat.W/FA(burnt) damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was written off.
Second Pilot - P/O Ross Leslie Flewelling RAF (42703), aged 24, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Buried Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire.
Pilot - P/O Peter Beckford Gough RAF (42599). Slightly injured.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Ronald Leslie Somerville RAFVR (970048). Slightly injured.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Edward Peter Hogan RAFVR (940001). Slightly injured.
Ross Flewelling's grave at Leeming Churchyard. He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada on 15th October 1916 and received a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 18th September 1939. He was graded as P/O on probation on 20th April 1940 and confirmed in the rank of P/O on 24th July 1940.
Sgt Hogan was later posted to 76 Squadron and died in the crash of Halifax L9562 on 13th August 1941 near Middleton St.George. He was buried at Southwick Cemetery, Sunderland. I thank Derek Haynes for the photograph of his gravestone.
Peter Gough was born in South Africa on 23rd November 1918. He was granted a commission in the RAF as Acting P/O on probation on 2nd September 1939, he was graded as P/O on probation on 20th April 1940 and confirmed in the rank of P/O on 10th July 1940. He was promoted to F/O on 20th April 1941 but was killed flying with 10 Squadron on 11th May 1941 in
Whitley P5048 on Ops to Hamburg. He is buried in Kiel War Cemetery. He is listed on Orford War Memorial, Suffolk.
Ronald Somerville was later posted to 159 Squadron but was sadly killed on 19th July 1942. He is buried in Khayat Beach War Cemetery, Israel and was twenty two years old.
