Whitley "DY-R" damaged in air, landed at Thornaby airfield.
Whitley "DY-R" sustained damage on the night of 1st / 2nd March 1941 on an operational flight to bomb Cologne. Annoyingly the 102 Squadron ORB lists squadron codes and not aircraft serial numbers so confirming the aircraft serial number has not yet been possible. The crew of Whitley "DY-R" bombed the primary target area in Cologne from 9,000 feet. The Whitley was attacked by an enemy aircraft but the air gunners in the Whitley returned fire and later claimed the enemy aircraft as being shot down. The Whitley landed at Thornaby airfield at 03.38hrs on 2nd March 1941 with the wing fabric torn off the aircraft.
Pilot - Sgt O W Rees.
Second Pilot - Sgt Geoffrey Wragg RAFVR (748565).
? - Sgt T Moodie.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Nicholas Cecil James Carter RAFVR (968383).
? - Sgt E A Hartle.
Sgt Nicholas Carter was killed on 1st September 1941 flying in Whitley Z6837 on Ops to Essen. He was thirty four years old and is buried in Schaffen Communal Cemetery, Belgium.