Whitley T4158 at Topcliffe airfield.
A reference has been located that during the evening of 6th November 1940 77 Squadron Whitley T4158 was taxiing at Topcliffe airfield in preparation for an operational flight
that night when the Whitley ran into soft earth as it was being moved around Topcliffe airfield, it is believed to ran into a back-filled bomb crater and Whitley's
undercarriage was damaged. No source record has yet been seen to state whether it was true that T4158 was actually about to be used operationally has been found. 77
Squadron eventually supplied at least three aircraft for the raid on 6th / 7th November 1940; Whitley T4172 with Bisley as captain, Whitley P4938 with Molesworth as captain
and Whitley T4238 with Neal RN as captain and their orders were to bomb Hamburg as a primary target and Duisburg as a secondary target.
Crew - Names unknown.
Whitley T4158 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd, at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 15th August 1940. After a short period of
storage it was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Linton on Ouse believed to have been shortly after 11th September 1940. On 5th November 1940 it moved with the
unit to Topcliffe only to sustained this damage the following evening and is believed to have been coded KN-B. Cat.M/GA was as bad as the damage assessment was
recorded and the aircraft repaired on site and returned to its unit. I have the 77 Squadron ORB and it was not used on Ops with 77 Squadron in November 1940 at all.
It later transferred to 78 Squadron at Middleton St.George believed to have been in April 1941 but it can't have carried the squadron code KN-B by April 1941 at 77
Squadron because KN-B was being used by 77 Squardron operationally on 3rd April 1941 until mid-May 1941 by Sgt Moore. It possibly went to 78 Squadron earlier and
the paperwork eventually caught up. On 7th August 1941 it failed to return from Ops. to Frankfurt with 78 Squadron when it ditched eight miles off Dunkirk. Cat.W(m)
was recorded and the aircraft struck off.