Whitley Z6463 at Catterick.
During the evening of 3rd March 1941 this 77 Squadron aircraft was being flown on a training flight that involved flying a series of short flights known as a circuits and and landings exercise. There were five airmen on board and this consisted of two pilots and three wireless operators. The training was being given by a more experienced pilot to a lesser experienced one. Two short flights were made without incident and the aircraft took off for a third. Once in the air for this third short flight the weather changed and a storm blew in. Two other aircraft managed to land but owing to enemy activity in the Topcliffe area this crew were ordered orbit the airfield, await further orders and Topcliffe then turned off the airfield landing. While orbiting the Topcliffe area the wireless set then failed so the crew did not receive a diversion order to head to Benson airfield in Oxfordshire. While orbiting a beacon in the Topcliffe area the crew eventually lost sight of the beacon and the crew lost their ground reference. They headed back north and found themselves near Catterick when the flare path was lit up so that some of their aircraft (Hurricanes) could get into the air. In seeing the flarepath lit the Whitley crew intended to land but the lighting was then turned off when the aircraft was on the approach to land. At 20.25hrs the Whitley hit telegraph poles near Cowstead Farm, Tunstall Road, near Catterick and crashed in a field. The aircraft broke in two and unfortunately one of the crew died. Of the survivors Sgt Bradley was found in a ditch (probably Tunstall Beck) by a local lady and while conscious he then passed out. Sgt Jones listed below was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron a few months later and one wonders whether this was partly for his actions after this accident.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Denis Bernard Flanders RAFVR (976088), aged 19, of North End, Portsmouth. Buried Milton Cemetery, Portsmouth, Hampshire.
Pilot - P/O Jack Geoffrey Rogers RAFVR (86388). Seriously injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Geoffrey Patrick Jones RAF (611027), of Hull, Yorkshire. Slightly injured.
Pilot - Sgt James Edwards RAF (748481). Seriously injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner (in rear turret) - Sgt Denis Bradley RAFVR (940308). Slightly injured.
Jack Rogers received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 5th October 1940, he was confirmed in his appointment and was
promoted to F/O (war subs) on 5th October 1941 with seniority of 29th September 1941. No other rise in rank is published in the London
Gazette under his name or service number for the rest of the War, one explanation for this is that perhaps he was made a PoW though this
is not a proven fact by this researcher and just speculation. Post War appears to have left the RAF in the late 1940s but he was
appointed to a commission in the RAFVR Training Branch to the rank of F/O on 16th December 1950. He extended his period of service in
the RAFVR Training Branch by a further four years on 16th November 1954 and again by four years in November 1958 and again in November
1962 by another four years. He finally resigned his commission of F/O but retained the rank of F/Lt on 5th October 1965.
Sgt Jones was awarded the DFM for service with 77 Squadron, Gazetted on 18th July 1941 but no citation has yet been found. F/Sgt
Geoffrey Patrick Jones DFM RAF (611027) was posted to 10 Squadron in April 1942 and was recorded as missing on 21st June 1942 flying
in Halifax BB201 on Ops to Emden when the aircraft was lost without trace, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sgt Bradley was made a PoW on 6th July 1941 when Whitley Z6752 failed to return from Ops to Dortmund. I thank his son Mr Tim Bradley for contacting me in December 2021 and for the considerable number of documents he has been able to provide me with including his father's account of the incident which has been drawn upon in my text above.
Whitley Z6463 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was allotted to 5 MU on 13th December 1940. The aircraft was received by 5 MU on 22nd December 1940 and after preparation for service was taken on charge by 77 Squadron at Topcliffe on 1st January 1941. As a result of the crash at Catterick on 3rd March 1941 Cat.E2/FA(Burnt) damage was teh damage assessment and it was struck off charge.