Whitley T4275 near Thrintoft, Northallerton.
On 17th February 1941 this 612 Squadron aircraft was being flown from Dyce in Scotland down to Yeadon airfield near Leeds almost certainly for modifications to be made to the aircraft. When the crew left Dyce they
were informed that the weather was poor but it was still adequate for the flight to go ahead. As they flew south and the weather had already
made a turn for the worse by the time they arrived in the Darlington area. The resulting crash investigation found that regional control should
have kept in contact with the aircraft and that Thornaby airfield had been requested to give bearings so the aircraft could land there but no
signal had been sent to them. When the aircraft came into the area of Northallerton and with the inexperienced crew finding the weather much
worse than they were expecting and receiving no instruction after becoming lost they force-landed the aircraft in a small field, wheels down,
near Bramper Farm, at Thrintoft at 13.10hrs. The aircraft skidded on the wet surface, one of the wheels dropped into a hollow and the aircraft
then entered a swung which resulted in the undercarriage collapsing causing damage to the wings and propellers, the crew escaped injury.
Pilot - Sgt Elijah Walley RAF (518318).
Crew - Names unknown.
At the time of this incident Elijah Walley was a reasonably experienced pilot with almost four hundred hours flying to his name, however his hours on the
Whitley type were only fourteen and no blame was put on his handling of the incident near Northallerton. He would later receive his commission on 6th January 1943 (50999) to P/O
on probation (emergency). He rose to F/O on probation on 6th July 1943 and to F/Lt (war subs) on 6th January 1945. He survived the War.
Whitley T4275 was built to contract 38599/39 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 17th October 1940. It was
taken on charge by 612 Squadron in November 1940 at Dyce when the unit began equipping with Whitley Mk.V's to work along side their Anson Mk.I's.
It sustained Cat.B/FA damage as a result of the accident as stated above. In March 1941 it was dismantled and transported to A.W. Ltd. at Baginton
for repair in works and on completion of these repair it was flown into MU for long term storage where it remained, never to fly operationally again.
It was struck off charge on 19th April 1945.