Whitley Z6723 damaged by flak, returned to Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 8th / 9th August 1941 the crew on this 58 Squadron aircraft were undertaking an operational flight to Kiel, they took off from Linton on Ouse at around 22.00hrs. Releasing their load over the target area the aircraft was hit by flak. The crew were able to make a safe return to land at Linton on Ouse at 06.16hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Kenneth McIntosh Newton RAFVR (935382).
Second Pilot - P/O Douglas Edward William Brown RAFVR (64288).
Observer - Sgt Lewes Alan Likeman RAFVR (904027).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Foster.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt J Jarvis RAFVR (1052855?).
Sgt Kenneth Newton was killed flying with 58 Squadron on 7th September 1941 when Whitley Z6947 failed to return from Ops to Berlin. He has no known grave and is
commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was thirty years old.
Douglas Brown received a commisison to the rank of P/O on probation on 22nd February 1941. He was killed on 8th November 1941 flying Ops to Berlin with 58 Squadron
in Whitley Z9205. He and all his then crew are buried in Kiel War Cemetery. He was twenty two years old.
Whitley Z6723 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 24th April 1941. It was taken on charge by 58 Squadron on
an unknown date. As a result of battle damage on 27th / 28th June 1941 and 8th / 9th August 1941 the damage was almost certainly repaired on site but it is not mentioned in the aircraft's published history. Cat.A/FB was the likely assessment of the damage. The aircraft later served with 19 OTU at Kinloss and 10 OTU at Abingdon before finally transferring to 24 OTU at Honeybourne. All Whitley's with 24 OTU were placed in storage awaiting disposal by April 1944. It was finally struck off charge on 28th June 1945.