In the early hours of 9th June 1941 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were returning to Middleton St.George after undertaking an operational flight to bomb
Dortmund. The weather over North Yorkshire on this night was poor and 78 Squadron aircraft had initially been sent instructions to divert to land at
Prestwick, the weather over Middleton St.George improved slightly and this diversion order was later cancelled but the weather was still poor at
dawn when this aircraft was heading towards base, the aircraft appears to have drifted too far west and at the time of the crash the crew were
descending through cloud probably to try and locate their position, the Whitley flew into a hilltop near Ellingstring at around 05.20hrs. Sadly
all five airmen were killed but strangely three pilots are listed on the CWGC database and no navigator.
Pilot - Sgt Dennis Russell Simm RAFVR (1150677), aged 27, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Buried Ashbourne Cemetery, Derbyshire.
Pilot - Sgt John Staley Tomkinson RAFVR (969697), aged 28, of Hazel Grove, Cheshire. Buried Taxal Churchyard, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire.
Observer - P/O Alfred Victor Snelling RAFVR (89600), aged 21. Of Epsom Downs, Surrey. Buried Middleton St.George Churchyard, Co.Durham.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Bernard Stevens RAFVR (972788), aged 21, of Hornchurch, Essex. Buried Hornchurch Cemetery, Essex.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Gordon Elliot Chiswell Billing RAFVR (967253), aged 24, of Leyland. Buried Leyland Churchyard, Lancashire.
P/O Snelling's gravestone at the small churchyard just outside Middlton St.George. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 15th December 1940. His birth was registered in the Epsom area of Surrey in 1919. CWGC incorrectly list him as being a pilot.
Gordon Billing was born in Farington, Lancashire in 1917 and married in the same area in 1936. This photograph was found on a family history website "http://jacksons.familytreeguide.com/tree_index.php".
Dennis Simm's impressive gravestone in Ashbourne Cemetery, Derbyshire. Photograph found on "www.militaryimages.net".
In 2008 by historians Ken Reast, Albert Pritchard and Eric Barton, with assistance and permission from the landowner, located some small fragments of the aircraft which confirmed the location. The photograph below shows small fragments retained by Eric Barton, presumably to clean with a hope of finding identification numbers. These items subsequently passed through me and are now with the Whitley Project.
One of the small items located by Eric Barton that confirms the location with a Whitley part number.
Whitley Z6571 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 5th March 1941. It was taken
on charge by 78 Squadron at Dishforth later the same month and on 7th April 1941 it moved with the unit to Middleton St.George. Having crashed at
Ellingstring on 9th June 1941 Cat.E2/FB damage was the damage assessment and the aircraft was struck off charge.