Whitley Z6800 hit by flak, landed at Linton on Ouse on return.
On the night of 31st August/1st September 1941 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were tasked with bombing Essen, over the target there was poor visibility but heavy flak
was encountered and the aircraft was hit and slightly damaged. The crew made a return to Yorkshire but were diverted to land at Linton on Ouse at 02.55hrs, possibly
because of the damage to the landing area at their home airfield of Topcliffe when Whitley Z6868 had blown up on take-off hours earlier.
Whitley Z6800 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 6th June 1941 and was taken on
charge by 77 Squadron at Topcliffe later the same month before being transferred to 102 Squadron also at Topcliffe. As a result of the minor flak damage
on 1st September 1941 Cat.A/FB was recorded on the paperwork and the aircraft was repaired on site and returned to the unit. It sustained minor damage on
the ground at Topcliffe on 6th September 1941 and wass then damaged by flak on 12th September 1941. It was twice repaired on site and continued to be used
by 102 Squadron until being lost on 30th November 1941 when it failed to return from Ops to Hamburg, Cat.E(m) was recorded and sadly four of the five crew
were killed with one being made a PoW.
Pilot - Sgt John Walter Stell RAFVR (1051815).
Second Pilot - Sgt William Bruce Archibald RAFVR (533809). Of Tobago, West Indies.
Observer - Sgt John Alfred Groom RAFVR (964955), of Stoke Newington, London.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Charles "Maxie" Miller RAFVR (970515), of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Air Gunner - Sgt Thomas Oswald McIlquham RCAF (R/67064), of Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada.
Thomas McIlquham was born in Carleton Place in 1911, he enlisted into the RCAF in July 1940. He was involved in a number of mishaps before
completing a Tour with 102 Squadron for which he was awarded the DFM in July 1942. Hugh Halliday's research states that on one occasion the
aircraft he was in blew up and his turret landed in a haystack saving his life. The citation for the DFM reads.."One night in May this airman
was the rear gunner of an aircraft detailed to attack Cologne. His aircraft was attacked
by a Focke Wulfe 190. Sergeant McIlquham waited until the fighter was within short range and then opened fire. Upon a second
attack being made he fired a long burst which sent the enemy aircraft spinning to the ground. Later the same night Flight
Sergeant McIlquham destroyed another Focke Wulfe 190. One night in June he was the rear gunner of a bomber detailed to attack
Bremen. His aircraft was attacked by a Messerschmitt 109. He fired two bursts and the enemy aircraft broke away and fell out
of control with the engine on fire. Flight Sergeant McInquham is a cool and skilful air gunner whose courage and determination
are an inspiration to the squadron." His award was presented at Buckingham Palace in November 1942, soon after he was posted
back to Canada on instructional duties, 102 Squadron veteran Ed Cooke recalls, in an internet posting, this was
rumoured to be because he used to take a high powered light with him in the rear turret to lure enemy aircraft
in try and pick them off. He was later commissioned in October 1943 and survived the War. He sadly
drowned in January 1956 after trying to rescue his son after his lorry went through the ice into Mississippi
Lake on a fishing trip.
F/Sgt John Stell was later posted to 76 Squadron and lost on 4th June 1942 in Halifax R9457 on Ops to Bremen. He is listed on the Runnymede Memorial.
The aircraft crashed on land rather than the sea and in more recent years the crash site has been found and there is a possibilty that human remains found at the site may be his.
F/Sgt William Archibald was later posted to 35 Squadron and lost on 30th March 1942 in Halifax R9496 while trying to sink the Tirpitz. He is buried
in Trondheim Cemetery, Norway.
As yet research is ongoing as to whether he was one of a small number of black Caribbean airmen flying in the RAF or his parents were white
in the Caribbean where they were living or working or colonialists. Prior to joining the RAF he attended Bedford Modern School.
Sgt John Groom was lost on 30th November 1941 flying in Whitley Z6800 (this aircraft) which was lost on Ops to Hamburg after being hit by flak.
He was twenty one years old and is buried in Kiel War Cemetery.
"Maxie" Miller survived a number of close shaves during his time with 102 Squadron. He had a lucky escape on 31st August 1941 when Whitley Z6868
blew up on take off just before he was to go to the aircraft and all his then crew survived. After this incident he was on board Whitley Z6871 which
crashed at Danby Head on 30th September 1941, details here. Charles
Miller recovered from his broken nose at Danby Head and returned to active service, on his next operational flight on the night of 12th / 13th October
1941 he was flying in Z6801 on Ops to Nuremburg, on the return leg the aircraft ran out of fuel and he was forced to bale out on crossing the east coast.
His pilot (Sgt Stell) force landed near Deeping St.James but the aircraft was badly damaged and was written off. Charles Miller suffered a heavy landing
and broke his ankle. He recovered and was posted to an OTU instruct when he recovered. He was awarded the DFM for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on
22nd September 1942. He received his commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 25th February 1943 (142837). He was promoted to F/O on
probation (war subs) on 25th August 1943 and later to F/Lt (war subs) on 25th February 1945. Having survived the War he remained in the RAFVR until
24th August 1951 and returned to civilian work. He died in 1970. I would like to thank his son for contacting me in December 2012 and for supplying
extra details about Charles' life. Charles Miller sold his medals in the 1960s, his son would like to buy them back should the owner of them wish to part with them.
