During the day of 3rd March 1941 this 10 Squadron aircraft was one of a number flown from their regular base of Leeming to Dishforth airfield where the unit began their operational flights from on this date. This aircraft then took off from Dishforth airfield at 19.26hrs to begin an operational flight to bomb Cologne. They released their bomb load over the target area at 22.55hrs from 11,800 feet. The aircraft was hit several times by flak over the target area and slight damage was sustained to the engines. On their return to England they made a safe landing at Leeming at 02.22hrs. The aircraft was swiftly repaired and was being used by 10 Squadron again on 12th March 1941.
Pilot - "S/Ldr" Dennis Brendon Geoffrey Tomlinson DFC RAF (37989).
Second Pilot - P/O George Richard Guest RAFVR (85248).
Observer - Sgt Victor Digby Durham RAFVR (755985).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Vincent Gordon Marshall RAFVR (936210).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Sidney Ambrose RAF (646435).
George Guest received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 14th September 1940. On 9th May 1941 he was the pilot of Whitley P4946 that was ditched on Ops to Bremen, his then crew all became PoWs. Whilst in captivity he was promoted to F/O on 14th September 1941 and F/Lt on 14th September 1942. He may have been
repatriated as a result of injuries sustained but at the time of creating this webpage this remains speculation. Having seen out the war as a PoW only days after V.E.Day he died in Weeton Hospital, Lancashire on 26th May 1945. He was twenty nine years old and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Doncaster.
Victor Durham received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 20th April 1941 (with seniority of 9th April 1941)(64280). By August 1941 he had been posted to 76 Squadron. On 13th August 1941 he was killed when Halifax L9531 failed to return from Ops to Berlin. He was twenty two years old and is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany.
Vincent Marshall received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 2nd April 1943 (146648). He was promoted to F/O on 2nd October 1943
and F/Lt on 2nd April 1945.
Sidney Ambrose was later posted to 90 Squadron. On 16th August 1941 he was killed when Fortress AN523 was attacked by fighters on Ops to Brest while flying at 23,000ft. The aircraft was flown back to the UK and he is buried in Willesden New Cemetery. He was twenty one years old.
Dennis Tomlinson received his commission on 4th August 1936 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation and was graded as P/O on 8th June 1937. The date he was promoted to F/O is not known. He had been promoted to F/Lt on 3rd September 1940 and later to Acting S/Ldr on 1st September 1941. On the night of 3rd / 4th September 1940 F/Lt Tomlinson was piloting Whitley P4967 crashed landed at Nether Silton in Yorkshire on return from Ops. F/Lt Tomlinson was also to be involved in another incident only weeks later above Thirsk while flying Whitley T4143 was partly abandoned and this saw two of his then crew being killed. He was awarded the DFC for service with 10 Squadron on 17th January 1941. After completing a Tour with 10 Squadron he was posted for an instructional role with 10 OTU based at Abingdon. When he was killed on 2nd June 1942 10 OTU were one of a number training units instructed to put up a number of bombers for Ops to Essen on this night. This was the night of the second Thousand Bomber raid. He was pilot of Whitley Z6581 which was shot down by a night fighter to the east of Arnhem and is buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery, Holland. He was married to Hannah Tomlinson (who was either local to Abingdon or had gone with him to the airfield). Dennis Tomlinson was twenty six years old.
Whitley T4202 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 1st October 1940. It was slightly
damaged by flak on 4th March 1941 and would have been repaired on site and returned to 10 Squadron use. It was damaged again by flak on the night of 12th / 13th March 1941 and again repaired on site. Cat.A/FB damage the likely assessment in both cases although the damage does not feature in the published Air Britain history of the aircraft. At the time of these incidents 10 Squadron were technically based at Leeming airfield but used Dishforth to begin some of their operational flights. Cat.E2/FB damage was sustained when it crashed near Masham, Yorkshire just days later on 19th March 1941 and the aircraft was struck off charge.