This 10 Squadron aircraft took off from Dishforth airfield at 22.19hrs to begin an operational flight to bomb Cologne. They released their bomb load over the target area at 02.28hrs from 13,000 feet but encountered heavy flak. Two small flak holes were found in the port aileron following a safe landing at Leeming at 05.30hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Clifford John Farmery RAFVR (748296).
Second Pilot - Sgt Aubrey Poupard RAFVR (934286).
Observer - P/O Frank Wilson RAFVR (89362).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt E Bullock (531523?).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - P/O Frame.
Whitley Z6671 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 21st April 1941. It was allocated to 77 Squadron at Topcliffe the same month but was then on charge with 10 Squadron at Leeming in May 1941. The damage sustained on 29th May 1941 Cat.A/FB damage would have been the assessment but it is not listed in the records. It would have been repaired on site at Leeming. On 19th June 1941 it failed to return from Ops to Bremen and Cat.Em damage was recorded on the paperwork.
Sgt Farmery was awarded the DFM for service with 10 Squadron, Gazetted on 21st November 1941. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 3rd June 1942 (128687) and was promoted to F/O on 3rd December 1942. By January 1944 he was in the rank of Acting S/Ldr and serving with 77 Squadron. On 21st January 1944 he was flying in Halifax LL190 on Ops to Magdeburg when the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter with the loss of all but one of his then crew. He is buried in Berlin War Cemetery.
Sgt Aubrey Poupard was killed flying in Whitley Z6478 with 10 Squadron on 6th September 1941 when the aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter over Holland. He and all his then crew were killed, he is buried in Oldebroek General Cemetery, Holland.
P/O Wilson was killed on 8th July 1941 flying in Whitley Z6627 with 10 Squadron when the aircraft failed to return from an operational flight to Hamm. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
The full identities of Sgt Bullock and P/O Frame are not yet known.