Wellington W5417 near Rillington.
On the night of 15th / 16th May 1941 the crew of this 104 Squadron aircraft took off from Driffield airfield at 22.29hrs to bomb Hanover. Outbound the intercom failed so the captain
decided that they would release their bomb load over Cuxhaven and return to base. On the return flight the crew must have flown off track and before they could reach an airfield the fuel ran low and eventually the port engine failed. The pilot made a forced landing near Rillington at dawn at 04.32hrs without injury to the crew. The aircraft was later repaired and returned to 104 Squadron but was lost in January 1942. This incident only came to my notice in February 2015 when I bought the 104 Squadron ORB which mentions it. I grew up in the Malton area and would very much like to learn exactly where this forced landing was made, should anyone read this and be aware of where the landing was made I would like to hear from you.
Pilot - Sgt Peter Frederick Granville Alcock RAFVR (758031).
Second Pilot - Sgt Philip Robert Goodwin RAFVR (924864).
Observer - Sgt John Beatty Harper RAFVR (916956).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Geoffrey Willett Groves RAFVR (908706).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Clifford Barry Cox RAFVR (919778).
Air Gunner - Sgt Ward RCAF (R/77076).
Peter Alcock was born in Great Yarmouth in January 1921. He flew with 78 Squadron earlier in the War and on the night of 11th / 12th February 1941 he was the second pilot of Whitley N1490 which force landed in Ayrshire on return from Ops to Bremen, he escaped injury. He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 30th December 1941 (115866) and later rose to F/O on 30th June 1942 and F/Lt on 30th December 1943. He later served with 139 Squadron and was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 21st September 1945. After the war he worked for Norwich Union in England and South Africa before he emigrated to Canada. He died in Thornbury, Ontario in 2009.
Philip Goodwin received a commission on 10th July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation. He was posted to North Africa by the end of 1941 to serve with 104 Squadron there. He was promoted to F/O on 10th January 1942. He received a Mention in Despatches on 2nd June 1943 and was promoted to F/Lt on 10th July 1943. He later served with 156 Squadron and was made a PoW on 31st March 1944 when Lancaster ND466 failed to a return from an operational flight.
John Harper received a commission on 18th July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation and was part of the 104 Squadron party that served in North Africa in late-1941 / early 1942. He rose to F/O on 18th January 1942. Having being posted to 15 OTU (probably to instruct) he was made a PoW on 31st May 1942 when Wellington W5586 failed to return from one of the Thousand Bomber raids that called for maximum effort of all Bomber Command aircrew, to raise enough aircraft tour-expired aircrew instructing were crewed up and flew aircraft in addition to operational squadrons. While a PoW he rose to F/Lt on 18th July 1943.
Clifford Cox received a commission on 18th April 1943 to the rank of P/O on probation, he rose to F/O after six months and to F/Lt after a further eighteen months service.
Groves and Ward were part of the 104 Squadron party that were sent to North Africa in October 1941 but I cannot find either of them flying with 104 Squadron there in the record books.
Wellington W5417 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd, at Weybridge and was awaiting collection on December 1940. It allotted to 51 MU on 20th December 1940 and was received by them on 2nd February 1941. After a short period of MU storage it was taken in charge by 104 Squadron at Driffield on 20th March 1941. As a result of the forced landing near Malton on 16th May 1941 Cat.B/FB damage was the damage assessment and it was transported by road to Vickers Service Aircraft Section for a repair in works on 30th May 1941. With repairs complete it was transferred to 9 MU on 28th August 1941 and then returned to 104 Squadron on 10th October 1941. On 16th January 1942 it failed to return from Ops to Emden. The then crew of six were killed and Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork. It was struck off charge on 2nd February 1942.