Whitley Z6739 damaged by flak, landed at Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the night of 29th / 30th June 1941 the crew of this 58 Squadron aircraft undertook an operational flight to bomb Bremen. The crew bombed from 11,000 feet at 01.50hrs. The aircraft sustained minor flak damage but despite the damage the pilot was able to bring the aircraft safely back to land at Linton on Ouse at 05.40hrs.
Pilot - Sgt Norman. (Probably Sgt Robert Alexander Norman RAAF (400102)).
No Second Pilot.
Sgt Watt
Sgt Izzard
Sgt Goss
Robert Norman was born on 3rd July 1916 in Australia. He worked in a bank for nine years before enlisting into the RAAF on 27th May 1940. Having gained his Wings on 24th December 1940 he was posted to the UK and after training to fly bombers was posted to 35 Squadron, arriving on 18th April 1941 but soon left and was posted to 58 Squadron on 24th April 1941. He returned to 35 Squadron on 25th July 1941 and received his commission on 9th August 1941, and was posted to 1652 CU on 16th November 1941. He rose to F/O on 9th February 1942 and F/Lt on 9th August 1943. As Acting S/Ldr he was awarded the DFC for service with 35 Squadron in May 1943, the citation reads.. "S/Ldr Norman is a courageous and skilful captain of aircraft, who throughout his many operational sorties has shown outstanding keenness and determination." This DFC was almost certainly as a result of completing a Tour with 35 Squadron, he had taken the rank as Acting W/C much earlier than this on 2nd March 1943 when he was posted to command 1663 HCU. On 8th September 1943 he was posted to command 460 Squadron but this was short lived as on 8th October 1943, on his first operational flight of his second Tour, he was the pilot of Lancaster EE202 on Ops to Hannover when the aircraft was attacked by a night-fighter south of Hannover. The aircraft broke up in the process of the crew getting clear of the aircraft and he landed unconsious. He was taken prisoner by the German police the following day but suffered head injuries in the process of getting out of the aircraft and saw out the War as a PoW spending 18 months in Stalag Luft III at Sagan. He may have been awarded the DSO but no details of this are in his service records which would cast doubt on this award but he was certainly Mentioned in Despatches on 28th November 1944. He was discharged on 26th May 1947.
Whitley Z6739 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 7th May 1941. It was taken on charge by 58 Squadron at Linton on Ouse on an unknown date and there is no record of this incident on 29th / 30th June 1941 it the history of the aircraft. Cat.A/FB damage is the likely assessment. It later transferred
to 3 (C)OTU Cranwell before serving with 19 OTU at Kinloss. On 28th August 1944 it was lost without trace on a training flight with the then crew of six being listed as missing.