Whitley Z6508 at Dishforth airfield.
On the night of 3rd / 4th April 1941 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to bomb the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau that were in harbour at Brest. The aircraft took off from Dishforth at 19.05hrs and landed at 00.40hrs, believed to have been at base, but the undercarriage collapsed on landing. In the days after this incident 78 Squadron moved to Middleton St.George.
Pilot - Sgt D A Dunlop.
? - Sgt L Drummond
? - Sgt J Panter
? - Sgt R Smith
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Douglas Anderson Wilson RAFVR (976170).
Sgt Wilson was killed flying with 78 Squadron on 17th August 1941 when Whitley Z6577 failed to return from Ops to Cologne. He was twenty two years old and his buried in Jonkerbos Cemetery.