Whitley Z6478 at Dishforth airfield.
On landing at Dishforth airfield at 15.15hrs on 17th March 1941 this 10 Squadron aircraft overshot, it then skidded on soft ground when the brakes were applied and the starboard undercarriage leg was smashed off.
The aircraft was to have been used on Ops on that same date but the program appears to have been cancelled due to the weather. Although a 10 Squadron aircraft who were based at Leeming, they begun many of their operational flights from Dishforth around this time. I assume that the damage at Dishforth occurred as part of the transit flight their earlier in the day.
Pilot - Sgt Frank William Sturmey RAFVR (748606).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Sidney Ambrose RAF (646435). Injured.
Second Pilot - P/O George Richard Guest RAFVR (85248).
Passenger - P/O Roach. (probably Air Gunner - P/O Richard John Roach RAFVR (78690)).
Navigator - Sgt Victor Digby Burham RAF (755985).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt George Henry Pearce RAFVR (906074).
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.
Frank Sturmey received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 17th July 1941 (101517). He rose to F/O on 17th July 1942 and F/Lt on 17th July 1943.
George Guest received a 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.
Richard Roach received his commission to the rank of Acting P/O on probation on 29th March 1940 and was graded as P/O on probation on 15th May 1940. He was confirmed in the rank of P/O on 29th March 1941 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 15th May 1941. On 30th December 1941 he was still serving with 10 Squadron and flying Ops to Brest in Halifax R9374 when the aircraft was hit by flak and then attacked by an Me109. During the attack by the enemy aircraft (Acting) F/Lt Roach was killed and the aircraft badly damaged which forced it to be ditched some eighty miles off Cornwall. The other members of his crew survived and were picked up but the body of F/Lt Roach was either not recovered from the aircraft or was buried at sea. He was thirty six years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was married to Stella Roach of Moseley, Birmingham.
George Pearce was awarded the DFM for service with 76 Squadron in 1942. He received a commission in July 1942.
Victor Durham received a 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.
Whitley Z6478 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 10th January 1941. It was
taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming later that month and was a replacement for Whitley T4220 lost on Ops on 17th January 1941. If it was
damaged on 17th March 1941 then Cat.A damage was as serious as the damage got and it would have been repaired on site and returned to the unit.
On 7th September 1941 Cat.E(m) damage was recorded when it failed to return from an operational flight to attack Huls, it was shot down by a
nightfighter of 4/NJG.1 and crashed near Oldebreck, Holland with the loss of the five crew.