On the night of 20th / 21st September 1940 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft were tasked with bombing primary targets of Hamm, Soest and Ehrang and took off from Leeming at 21.14hrs. The aircraft was in the target area just after 01.00hrs but because of thick cloud they cloud not locate their targets so bombed the aerodrome at Trier which was lit up. They made an attack at 2,000 feet and the Whitley's two gunners fired bursts into search lights. They observed bombs hitting a hanger and the runway but the aircraft was hit by flak bursts. They then dropped the remaining bommbs on a factory near Maastrecht and the aircraft was hit by machine-gun fire. The aircraft landed safely at base at 04.34hrs.

Pilot - W/Co Sydney Osborne Bufton RAF (24184).

Second Pilot - P/O John Alain Stobart Russell RAFVR (81352), of Lochgilphead, Scotland.

Observer - Sgt George Edward Bessell RAF (581013).

Wireless Operator - Sgt Arthur Cowie RAF (620467)..

Air Gunner - F/O Kenneth Montague Bastin RAF (75168).

Sydney Bufton rose to the top command structure of the RAF, he was born 12th January 1908 in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales and attended London University before working at Vickers. He received his commission in the RAF 16th December 1927 (seniority 9th December 1927) to P/O on probation. He was confirmed in the rank of P/O exactly a year later and rose to F/O on 9th June 1929, F/Lt on 1st April 1933, S/Ldr on 1st October 1937, W/C (temp) on 1st June 1940, G/C (temp) on 1st September 1942, Acting A/Cdre on 10th March 1943, G/C (war subs) on 10th September 1943, W/C on 1st December 1943, G/C on 1st January 1946, A/Cdre on 1st July 1948, Acting AVM on 1st September 1952, and finally AVM on 1st January 1953. Having learnt to fly at 4 FTS in Egypt he was posted back to England in 1929 to 100 Squadron at Bicester. As a young man he had been a Welsh International Hockey player (1931–1937) as well as playing for the RAF and the Combined Services. In 1939 he Was working at the Air Ministry and was posted to France with the RAF's Advanced Air Strike Force supporting the British Expeditionary Force. He returned to England in June 1940 and in July 1940 was posted to 10 Squadron at Leeming. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 22nd November 1940 but no citation has been located. In April 1941 he was posted to 76 Squadron and in June 1941 posted to be Commanding Officer of Pocklington airfield. In November 1941 he was appointed to Deputy Director of Bombing Operation at the Air Ministry and in March 1943 he was appointed to Director of Bombing Operations at the Air Ministry. It was he who came up with the idea of The Pathfinder Force which later was re-named No.8 (Pathfinder) Group. Having survived the War a number of decorations came his way. He was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 1st January 1945. The US decoration; the Legion of Merit (Commander) on 9th October 1945, ON(C)s on 18th November 1947, FRAeS in 1970, and the High Sheriff of Radnorshire in 1967.

In July 1945 he was posted to command the RAF in Egypt, in December 1946 he took charge of the tactics wing of the Central Bomber Establishment, in November 1948 he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations/Plans) Air Forces Western Europe and in January 1951 he became Director of weapons at the Air Ministry. In 1953 he was appointed to command all British forces in the Aden Protectorate. In 1955 he became Senior Air Staff Officer at Bomber Command and then in 1958 was appointed assistant Chief of Air Staff (Intelligence) before retiring from the RAF on 17th October 1961. In civilian life he became managing director of Radionic Products, an aerospace company and in 1967 appointed to High Sheriff of Radnorshire. He died on 29th March 1993. The photograph of him shown above was found in Flight Magazine archives.

Kenneth Bastin was born in London in 1913, he was granted a commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 8th October 1939 and was graded as P/O on probation soon after on 13th November 1939. He was confirmed in the appointment and was promoted to F/O on 13th November 1940. As Acting F/Lt and while serving with 76 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 2nd September 1941 and was promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 13th November 1941 and was later granted the rank of S/Ldr (war subs) on 6th October 1943. He survived the War. Tom Williams published a biography of his uncle's career entitled "Gunnery Leader". He later become a chief instructor for trainee air gunners and gunnery leaders and this culminated in his assuming command of the Gunnery Leader Wing of Central Gunnery School, a position he held until leaving the RAF at the end of the war. He died in Sussex in 1987.