Whitley P5023 near Kirk Deighton.
On 11th October 1940 crew on this 77 Squadron aircraft were returning from an operational flight to Merseburg when the aircraft ran out of fuel before reaching base.
The crew force-landed it in a field near Kirk Deighton in the early hours and with it's wheels down near to Loshpot Lane. The aircraft was refuelled by hand
with the help of local people and flown out of the field after the removal of hedges on other side of the lane leading away from the village. The squadron records do not give any information about this incident but the crew list given below is who flew P5023 on this night.
Pilot - F/Lt Cosme Lockwood Gomm RAFO (34123).
? - Sgt Taylor.
? - Sgt Nickson.
? - Sgt Jones.
? - Sgt Evans.
Cosme Gomm was born on 15th November 1913. He was awarded a short service commission in the RAF as acting P/O on 7th November 1933 and flew in the Middle
East before the start of WW2. Under the terms of his commission he reverted to the RAFO after the term was served. He was posted to 77 Squadron in August 1940.
He was awarded the DFC for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 18th April 1941. He was later awarded the DSO for service with 467 Squadron, Gazetted 11th
June 1943 while in the rank of Acting W/Co. The citation for his DSo reads.. "Since being awarded the DFC, W/Cdr Gomm has completed a large number of sorties,
including 19 night-fighter patrols with Fighter Command. After training the personnel of his squadron, he has himself participated in a number of highly
successful bombing raids, the majority of which have been against heavily defended targets. On operations W/Cdr Gomm has displayed exceptional courage and
has consistently obtained excellent photographs." He died on 15th August 1943 while serving with 467 Squadron and is buried in St.Desir War Cemetery, France.
He was thirty years old and at that time his parents were living in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Whitley P5023 was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd, at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 5th June 1940. After a period of MU
storage it was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on 28th August 1940 when the unit moved in from Driffield which was bombed out. The aircraft
was a replacement for N1355 "KN-X", which had crashed at Cottam on 20th August 1940. On 5th October 1940 it moved with unit to Topcliffe and sustained Cat.M
damage in the incident recorded above. It continued to serve with 77 Squadron and was again damaged on return from Ops on 11th November 1940 when it was
force landed near Barkstone Heath, Cranwell. Again the damage was repaired and it continued to be used by 77 Squadron until being transferred to 10 OTU at
Abingdon in 1941. On 24th October 1941 it sustained Cat.W/FA damage when it struck a tall tree whilst flying in poor visibility, it rolled over and
crashed killing the then crew of four at Eaton, Berkshire.