Whitley P5001 damaged by enemy fire, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 20th / 21st September 1940 the crew of this 10 Squadron aircraft was tasked with an operational flight to bomb primary targets of Hamm, Soest and Ehrang.
They took off at 21.17hrs and dropped their bombs on one of the primary targets between 00.50hrs and 01.05hrs in a series three attacks. Bombs were seen to fall
on railway lines and anti-aircraft fire was encountered by this crew but they described it as being slight, dispite this the aircraft's port wing was hit and
sustained several small holes because of this flak. The aircraft was able to make a safe return to base and landed at 05.15hrs.
Pilot - P/O Anthony Leonard Jones RAF (42843), of Ewell, Surrey.
Second Pilot - P/O Allan Bridson RAF (36267), of Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand.
Observer - Sgt Edgar George Harding RAFVR (749521), of Liverpool.
Wireless Operator - Sgt James Beasley Watt RAF (647062), of Edinburgh.
Air Gunner - Sgt H? W Green RAF (651321).
Allan Bridson was born in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1918, he was working as a motor
mechanic when he enlisted in April 1940. He received his Short Service commission in the RAF to
the rank of P/O on 13th April 1940. On 20th December 1940 he was involved in potentially more
serious incident, he was the pilot of Whitley P4961 on Ops to Berlin. The aircraft was hit by
flak and seriously damaged. One of the engines later failed and he was struggling to maintain height
on the return flight. The crew abandoned the aircraft over Suffolk. He was later awarded the DFC
for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 7th March 1941. Although no citation for his DFC
has been located it would seem it would have been recommended and granted for completing a Tour
with 10 Squadron as he was flying with 10 OTU in mid-March 1941. On 14th March 1941 he was almost
certainly flying as an instructor in Whitley P5027 on a training flight, the aircraft failed to
return to base and it was assumed to have crashed into the Irish Sea with the loss of the six crew.
P/O Allan Bridson was twenty two years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
On the night of 5th / 6th November 1940 Jones, Harding and Watt were flying in the same aircraft, Whitley P5001, on Ops to Milan, the aircraft failed to
return to base and was last heard transmitting distress signals on their return to England. No trace of the aircraft was ever found and all are commemorated
on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt Harding was twenty two years old and Sgt Watt was just eighteen.
Anthony Jones received his commission on 23rd October 1939 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation and was later graded as P/O on probation on 20th April
1940. He was confirmed in his appointment of P/O on 14th August 1940. P/O Jones was twenty years old when he died.
Nothing more is known of Sgt Green after he appears to have been posted out of 10 Squadron in November 1940.
Whitley P5001 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 19th May 1940,
it was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Dishforth at the end of June 1940. This was a replacement for Whitley P4960 "ZA-S" lost on 20th
June 1940. P5001 moved to Leeming with the unit on 8th July 1940. On 21st September 1940 it sustained Cat.M/FB damage as a result of the
incident as stated above. It was repaired on site and was returned to the squadron. On 5th November 1940 it was ditched off North Foreland
on return from Milan withe then five man crew being killed including Jones, Harding and Watt as listed above.