Whitley Z6669 struck by lightning, returned to Leeming airfield.
On the night of 8th / 9th August 1941 this 10 Squadron aircraft was being flown on an operational flight to bomb Kiel. They took off from Leeming at 21.50hrs and released their bombs on Kiel at 01.16hrs from 13,000 feet. On the flight back to England the aircraft was struck by lightning twice which burnt off the trailing aerial, damaged the TR9 radio and slightly damaged a wing tip. Severe icing conditions built up on the airframe, so much so that at 03.14hrs the flying controls froze and the aircraft went into a dive from 8,000 to 4,000 feet before the pilot was able to regain control. The crew at the front of the aircraft then realised that the rear gunner had left the aircraft probably believing the aircraft to be crashing. The remaining crew made a safe landing at Leeming at 05.12hrs. The missing rear gunner had baled out over the North Sea, unfortunately there was no hope of any rescue and his body was never found. His casualty file states that the aircraft was undamaged but the 10 Squadron orb lists the damage sustained, albeit minor. In July and August a number of Whitleys were flown on operations with just four aircrew instead of the usual five, this was one.
Pilot - (Acting) F/Lt Frederick William Thompson RAFVR (60758).
Observer - P/O Philip Stanley Patterson RAFVR (61256).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Godfrey Ernest Mortimer RAFVR (976620).
Rear Gunner - Sgt Richard Myers RAFVR (1378482), aged 30. Missing. Commemorated Runnymede Memorial.
Whitley Z6669 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 18th April 1941. The date it was taken on charge by 10 Squadron at Leeming is not yet known. As a result of the damage sustained on 9th August 1941 minor Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment and it was repaired on site at Leeming. The aircraft next served with 1485 (T.T.)Flight at Coningsby before finally moving to 10 O.T.U. at Abingdon. It was detached to St.Eval during the latter part of 1942 and on 28th December 1942 it was abandoned out of fuel on return from a patrol. It crashed near Lewannick, Cornwall but one of the crew was killed. Cat.E2/FA damage was recorded and the aircraft was written off.
By 10th May 1944 Godfrey Mortimer was in the rank of Acting F/Lt and was serving with 44 Squadron. On that date he was flying in Lancaster ND515 when the aircraft failed to return from Ops to Gennevilliers, France. The aircraft crashed in France and he was killed, he is buried at Evereux Communal Cemetery, France.