Wellington W5441 near Middleton on the Wolds.
On 12th September 1941 the crew of this Driffield based 104 Squadron aircraft were undertaking a day time circuits and landings training flight when the aircraft suffered engine failure at around 17.00hrs. The pilot attempted to force-land the aircraft near Middleton on the Wolds but ran downhill through a number of hedges and ditches and across a road before coming to a halt. It was thought that the crew had confused the fuel balance cock with the pilot's petrol cock and closed off the fuel to the engines by mistake.
Wellington W5441 was built to contract B.71441/40 by Vickers Armstrong's Ltd, at Weybridge and was awaiting collection in early 1941. On 11th March 1941 it was received by 22 MU and after a period of MU storage it was taken on charge by the recently re-formed 104 Squadron at Driffield in 17th May 1941. As a result of the incident near Middleton on the Wolds on 12th September 1941 Cat.E2/FA damage was the damage assessment. It was struck off charge on 18th September 1941.
Pilot - P/O Francis Newton Pope RAFVR (100069).
Crew - Names unknown.
Francis Pope was a chartered accountant before enlisting into the RAFVR. He received a commission on 1st July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation but was sadly killed on 20th March 1942 after 104 Squadron were posted overseas. Wellington Z8510 was lost off Greece. He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial. He was twenty five years old.