Whitley Z6871 at Topcliffe airfield.

On the night of 6th / 7th September 1941 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to Huls but before they could take off the aircraft became bogged down. The aircraft may then have been struck by Whitley Z6800. The aircraft was repaired but crashed on the North Yorkshire Moors at the end of the month.

Pilot - P/O Bruce Buchanan Percival Roy RAFVR (102583), of Palmer's Green, Middlesex.

Second Pilot - Sgt Lawrence William Carr RAF (1250644), of Crayford, Kent.

Observer - Sgt Philip Leonard Newell Trehearn RAFVR (947664), of Rhyl, Flintshire, Wales.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Philip Anthony Taylor RAFVR (995861).

Air Gunner? - P/O Peter Smiddy RAFVR (100044).

Sgt Taylor was killed on 30th November 1941 flying on Ops to Hamburg in Whitley Z6800. He is buried in Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Philip "Len" Trehearn was involved in a number of other mishaps in Yorkshire. At the end of September 1941 he was flying in this same Whitley when the aircraft crashed on the North Yorkshire Moors near Danby, details found here. He survived this incident and later began to convert to flying in Halifaxes but was sadly to be killed on 14th April 1942 when Halifax R9488 crashed near Baldersby, Thirsk while the crew were giving it an airtest. Details found here. Len Trehearn is buried at Rhyl in Wales.
Sgt Carr's aircraft Whitley Z6868 exploded prior to take off on 31st August 1941, he and his crew were able to run clear before the explosion and escaped injury. This incident is detailed on this website. He later converted to Halifaxes and on 28th April 1942 he was the pilot of Halifax W7653 on Ops to Cologne when his aircraft was shot down by a night fighter over Belgium. He was able to evade capture thanks to the Comete Line and crossed into Spain on 13th May 1942. He later received his commission on 19th June 1943.
P/O Roy was posted missing after Ops on 8th November 1941 in Whitley Z6820. He was twenty three years old and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Peter Smiddy received his commission from the rank of Corporal to P/O on probation on 21st June 1941. He was probably promoted to F/O (war subs) six months later but no details of this have yet been located in the London Gazette for this. He was later promoted to F/Lt (war subs) on 21st June 1943. Following time with 102 Squadron he was briefly posted to 76 Squadron and later posted to 466 Squadron to fly in Wellingtons on 22nd October 1942, as Bombing Leader. It is possible that he was only attached to 102 Squadron from 76 Squadron though. He was recommended for the DFC on 22nd July 1943 and the award was granted for service with 466 Squadron, Gazetted on 10th September 1943. No citation has been located but the recommendation has been found and at this date he had flown 145 hours operational flying with twenty five operational flights. The recommendation reads.. "For a period of almost two years this officer has been engaged on operational flying in three types of aircraft and both in the capacity of Wireless Operator / Air Gunner and Air Bomber. During this time he has always displayed the greatest enthusiasm and efficiency and later as Bombing Leader of his Squadron has by his dash and personal courage provided a high example and inspiraation to other aircrew members. His sorties include a number of the most difficult in Germany." His operational flight list is included in this recommendation; he flew his first two operational flight on 7th and 12th September 1941 as an air gunner on Ops to Berlin and Frankfurt with an unknown squadron. There was then a huge gap until he flew his third operational flight on 30th May 1942 now as a wireless operator on Ops to Cologne and a fourth also as wireless operator on 3rd June 1942 to Bremen. His next was on 22nd June 1942 when he flew his first as bomb aimer to Emden which was almost certainly with 102 Squadron. He then flew continually from this date to what appears to have been his last operational flight with 102 Squadron on 14th September 1942 to Bremen. His next was on 14th January 1943 on a mine laying flight to Ameland with 466 Squadron. F/Lt Smiddy was posted away from 466 Squadron in October 1943 but where to is not yet known, probably to instruct. He later returned to operationaly flying in the Middle East theatre of war. I thank his daughter Mrs Barbara Hill for contacting me in July 2011.

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