Whitley T4293 at Topcliffe airfield.
In the early hours of 28th December 1940 this 77 Squadron aircraft was returning from Ops to Bordeaux, France where the crew had bomb an airfield. On landing back
at Topcliffe at 02.27hrs the aircraft struck another aircraft and sustained serious damage. The crew escaped serious injury. The identity of the other aircraft was almost certainly Whitley P5005.
Pilot - Sgt Harold Joseph Dowling RAFVR (754022).
Second Pilot - P/O Pearson (possibly P/O Leonard Edward Pearson RAF (42639)).
Observer - Sgt John Stafford Bools RAFVR (755544).
Wireless Operator - Sgt Gill.
Air Gunner - Sgt Hurlston. (possibly Sgt Alfred John Hurlston (363077)).
Sgt Dowling was killed on 4th April 1941 flying Whitley Z6583 which crashed near Chichester, Sussex on return from Ops to Brest, their aircraft was instructed
to divert and land at an airfield in the South of England but crashed while circuiting Tangmere airfield. He was twenty years old and is buried in Hull Northern
Cemetery. Two of his then crew survived the crash.
Leonard Pearson received a commission to the the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 2nd September 1939. He was graded as P/O on probation on 6th April 1940
and confirmed in the rank of P/O on 10th July 1940. He was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 6th April 1941. F/O Pearson was pilot of Whitley Z6585 which crashed in Europe on Ops bomb
Berlin on the night of 17th/18th April 1941, he was twenty one years old and is buried in Hamburg Cemetery. His brother Stanley served in the Army and was sadly
killed just after the War on 3rd December 1945.
Sgt Bools was killed on the same raid as F/O Pearson on 17th/18th April 1941 flying in Whitley T4338 on Ops to Berlin. He was aged twenty five years old and
is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
Little is known of the wireless operator or rear gunner of T4293 when it crashed at Topcliffe, if the identity of Sgt Hurlston was indeed Alfred John Hurlston
then soon after this incident he was awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in the RAF and received his commission in mid-1941.
Whitley T4293 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 4th November 1940, it was delivered to 77 Squadron
at Topcliffe later in the same month. Cat.W.FB damage was recorded as a result of the accident in December 1940 as stated above.