Whitley Z6490 damaged by flak, returned to Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 12th / 13th March 1941 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb Hamburg, with the target being shipbuilding yards. The crew took off from base of Dishforth at around 20.00hrs, the aircraft was hit in the fuselage by flak but the crew were able to make a safe return and are believed to have landed at base at around 03.00hrs.
Pilot - Sgt John Cope RAFVR (745688).
Second Pilot - Sgt D A Dunlop.
Observer - Sgt Ronald Ernest Hewlett RAFVR (746881).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt R Smith.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt M Chadwick (probably Sgt Maurice William Chadwick RAFVR (971471).
John Cope was later posted to 104 Squadron and was awarded the DFM for service with them, Gazetted on 23rd September 1941.
He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 9th August 1941 and was promoted to F/O (war subs) on 9th August
1942 and to F/Lt on 22nd May 1943. He flew a second tour with 15 Squadron and was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 20th April 1943.
Maurice Chadwick was born in Chesterfield. He was awarded the DFM for service with 78 Squadron, Gazetted on 22nd August 1941. He later flew with 22 OTU and took part in all three Thousand Bomber raids in May / June 1942. He received a commssion to the rank of P/O on 27th July 1942 (129459) and rose to F/O on 27th January 1943 (and probably to F/Lt on 27th July 1944 but the entry in the London Gazette has not been found). After the war he moved to Mansfield where he worked for the Co-Operative Society. He died in 2008 aged 89.
Ronald Hewlett was born in October 1917 and joined the RAFVR at the start of the war. After training he was posted to 78 Squadron and flew his first operational flight in November 1940 and in April 1941 he was posted to 35 Squadron. Having completed his first Tour he was posted to 10 OTU though flew in the Thousand Bomber raids on Cologne (in May 1942) and Essen (in June 1942). He received a commission to the rank of P/O on 2nd September 1942 and was promoted to F/O on 2nd March 1943 and later to F/Lt (probably on 2nd September 1945 though no entry in the London Gazette has yet been found). He flew a second operational tour with 161 Squadron with SOE and was awarded the DFC for service with 161 Squadron, Gazetted on 9th July 1943. Postwar he remained in the RAF and flew with 238 Squadron during the Berlin Airlift and later with 109 Squadron. He retired from the RAF on 12th October 1972 having risen to the rank of S/Ldr. His medal set sold at auction in 2003.
Whitley Z6490 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and awaiting collection on 23rd January 1941. It was taken on charge by 78 Squadron at Dishforth the following month. As a result of the incident on 13th March 1941 Cat.A/FB would have been the assessment, it would have been repaired on site and continued to serve with 78 Squadron, moving with the unit to Middleton St.George on 7th April 1941, then with the unit to Croft on 20th October 1941. 78 Squadron ceased operating Whitley MkV's in March 1942 and at this time the aircraft was transferred to 1484 Target Towing and Gunnery Flight at Driffield. On 29th March 1943 it was being flown on a training flight by a crew from 1484 Target Towing Flight when it iced up over the Yorkshire Wolds. The pilot lost control and instructed the others on the aircraft to abandon the aircraft, the pilot then left the aircraft and it crashed in the Kirby Underdale area. Cat.E2/FA Burnt damage was recorded.