Enemy action at Linton on Ouse airfield (damaging two Halifax aircraft).
The night of 11th / 12th May 1941 was a clear moon-lit night above Yorkshire and the North-East of England suffered a large attack by enemy aircraft. At least twelve civilians were killed in Middlesbrough and County Hall in Northallerton was damaged.
Linton on Ouse airfield was also attacked by to up three enemy aircraft at 01.45hrs with one hanger sustaining damaged. Two Halifaxes inside the hanger were caught in the blast and resulting fire but both the aircraft identities are not yet known. One was 35 Squadron Halifax L9504. Other aircraft were dispersed around the airfield and are believed to have escaped damage. The other aircraft was probably also on the books of 35 Squadron. One aircraft sustained damage to the mainplane while parked in the hanger and another had it's front fuselage burnt out in the
bombed hanger. Also connected to this bombing and resulting fire was the sad loss of some thirteen air personnel at Linton on Ouse as a result of the
attack. While some must have been killed in the initial attack others are known to have died while trying to put the fire out. Every available person on the airfield was called
to assist in putting the fires out, bravery awards may well have been issued but no details have been found either apart from Commendations in Station
Records were Sgt Saunders and LAC McLeod for "exceptional courage and initive whilst under fire".
A memorial service and dedication was held at Linton on Ouse in September 2014 with a memorial erected in memory of those killed in this incident. I thank Mr Rob Slater for contacting me with regard this and his uncle Cpl Kenneth Marloth. Those killed were:
Station Commander, RAF Linton on Ouse - G/Cpt Frederick Frank Garraway OBE RAF (04016). Commanding fire fighting operations. Buried Newton on Ouse churchyard, Yorkshire.
58 Sqn - Sgt George Balmforth RAF (544600), aged 29, of Westport, Co.Mayo, Irish Republic. Buried Newton on Ouse churchyard, Yorkshire.
58 Sqn - F/Sgt Victor Stuart Dodd RAFVR (940286), aged 20, of Coventry. Buried Stoke (St Michael) Churchyard, Warwickshire.
58 Sqn - AC1 Gordon Idris Eggleton RAFVR (914938), aged 21, of Ryde. Buried Ryde Borough Cemetery, Isle of Wight.
58 Sqn - Sgt John Kay RAF (647782), aged 19, of West Cornforth. Buried Cornforth Churchyard, Durham.
58 Sqn - Sgt Edwin Howard Whitley Kemp RAFVR (755825), aged 28, of Reading, Berkshire. Buried Newton on Ouse churchyard, Yorkshire.
58 Sqn Observer - Sgt Reginald Denis Kirby RAFVR (759233), aged 32, of Gorleston, Great Yarmouth. Buried Gorleston Cemetery, Great Garmouth, Norfolk.
58 Sqn - AC2 Harold Lackey RAF (1155594), aged 25, wife of Shirley, Birmingham. Buried Shirley churchyard, Solihull, Warwickshire.
35 Sqn (electrician ground crew) - Cpl Kenneth Hamilton Marloth RAF (620923), aged 21, of Tooting, Surrey. Buried Newton on Ouse churchyard, Yorkshire. Died of injuries.
58 Sqn - AC1 Kenneth Harry Moody RAFVR (923174), aged 28, of Landford, Wiltshire. Buried Newton on Ouse churchyard, Yorkshire.
58 Sqn - Sgt William Douglas Weir RAFVR (967309), aged 21, of Swansea. Buried Oystermouth Cemetery, Swansea, Wales.
35 Sqn (electrician ground crew) - AC2 Hector Meeson RAFVR (1258724), aged 19, of Bush Hill Park, Enfield. Buried Edmonton Cemetery, Middlesex. Died York Hospital of injuries.
35 Sqn - AC2 Arthur Dale RAFVR (1206638), aged 21, of Saltley, Birmingham. Buried Witton Cemetery, Birmingham. Died of injuries on 15th May 1941.
AC2 William Norwell Barlow RAFVR (1059651). Injured.
AC2 George Alfred Joseph Mitchell RAFVR (922400). Injured.
AC2 G Hepplewaite RAFVR (1253509). Injured.
AC2 H J McDonald RAF (614244). Injured.
LAC L Donholme/Bonhomme? RAFVR (957923). Injured.
F/Sgt A Hawkes RAF (510326). Injured.
AC2 Stanley William John Reed Lethbridge RAFVR (920928). Injured.
Sgt Henry E Greene RAFVR (937497). Injured.
AC1 G H Wadsworth RAFVR (756616). Injured.
The graves of five of those killed as a result of the raid on Linton on Ouse and buried at Newton on Ouse churchyard.
His son P/O Derek Garraway was killed with 78 Squadron on 27th April 1944 flying as air bomber in Halifax LV873. He was twenty one years old.
None of the AM Form 78's for Halifaxes that were on charge with 35 Squadron list damage sustained that could relate to enemy action on 12th May 1941. I would welcome additional information to identify it. The AM Form 78 for Halifax L9494 listed an enemy action damage incident though the date is not clear, it appears to state 11th March 1941 though it could be 11th May 1941.
Frederick Garraway was born on 10th July 1899 in Margate, Kent. His father Bertram Garraway was chief officer of Margate Ambulance Corps. In 1916 Frederick was working at the Inland Revenue but later served in the RNAS in 1917. As a Probationary Flight Officer in the RNAS he was accidently injured in Autumn 1917. He was later Mentioned in Despatches in June 1919 for his flying in the First World War. He later transferred to the RAF and was granted a permanent commission on 1st August 1919, probably in the rank of F/O but the entry in the London Gazette has not been located. As F/O he was posted to No.3 Group Headquarters at Spittlegate on 4th April 1923 and was then posted to No.1 Wing HQ, India on 23rd November 1923. He was Mentioned in Despatches (Gazetted on 20th November 1925) for distinguished service in the RAF in Waziristan in March 1925. He received a promotion to F/Lt on 1st January 1926 and was posted to No.2 Wing, India on 24th February 1926, then in August 1927 he was posted to No.3 Wing, India. In January 1929 he was back in the UK and as F/Lt he was posted to 35 Squadron at Bircham Newton on 28th July 1929. He was promoted to S/Ldr on 1st April 1935 and awarded the OBE in June 1935 in the King's Birthday Honours list. He was later promoted to W/Co on 1st July 1938 and received a posting to the Directorate of Organisation, Department of A.M.S. O. at the Air Ministry on 6th July 1938. He as lastly promoted to G/Cpt on 1st December 1940 and was Linton on Ouse station commander at the time of his death; a post he had only been in for five days. A hospitality room at the base is now named in his honour.
Henry Greene became a PoW on 15th September 1941 when 35 Squadron Halifax L9503 failed to return from an operational flight.
Sgt Kirby had survived the crash landing of Whitley T4207 at the dummy airfield at Sutton Bank on 3rd December 1940.
William Barlow later became aircrew and trained as an air gunner. While serving with 23 Squadron on 28th June 1942 he was made a PoW when Boston AL459 was force landed in France.
Halifax L9504 was one of the aircraft damaged on the ground. It was built to contract 692649/37 by Handley Page Ltd. at Radlett and was awaiting collection on 22nd January 1941. On 2nd February 1941 it was allotted to 8 MU at Little Rissington and on 17th February 1941 it was allocated to 35 Squadron at Linton on Ouse. The aircraft was taken on charge by 35 Squadron on 10th March 1941 at Linton on Ouse. As a result of being damaged by enemy action on the ground at Linton on Ouse on 12th May 1941 it was assessed as being Cat.A(c) damaged by 43 Group (D.A.). The aircraft was probably repaired at Linton on Ouse and was returned to 35 Squadron use there by 28th August 1941. On 31st October 1941 minor Cat.A/FB damage resulted from battle damage. The aircraft was repaired on site and returned to 35 Squadron. On 21st February 1942 it was transferred to 102 Squadron Conversion Flight at Dalton and then moved to Topcliffe with them on 10th June 1942. On 7th August 1942 minor Cat.A/GA damage resulted when it taxied into two engine trestles at Topcliffe. It was again repaired on site but 102 Squadron C.F. was scheduled to move to Pocklington on 7th August 1942 so this aircraft followed once repaired later in the day. On 18th September 1942 it was again slightly damaged to Cat.A/GA status when it taxied into the back of Halifax W7807 at Pocklington. It was again repaired on site and returned to the Unit. On 23rd November 1942 102 Squadron Convserion Flight was absorbed into 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit (home station was Marston Moor) but continued to operate under the guise of 102 Sqn C.F. until 14th January 1943 when it was finally was taken on charge by 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit. They operated one of their flights at Pocklington so this aircraft probably remained there for much of this time. On 15th March 1943 it was transferred to 10 School of Technical Training at Kirkham, Lancashire as a Ground Instructional Airframe but the "M" serial number is not yet known. It is not listed on the AM Form 78.