Whitley Z6875 damaged by flak, returned to Topcliffe airfield.
On the night of 5th / 6th August 1941 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft were tasked with bombing Frankfurt and left Topcliffe at 22.05hrs, the crew dropped their
bombs over the target area but the aircraft sustained flak damage. Despite suffering damage to the air speed indicator the crew made a safe return to Topcliffe
and landed at 06.56hrs.
Pilot - Acting S/Ldr John Oswald Lalor RAF (39994), of Ballacolla, Co.Leix, Irish Republic.
Second Pilot? - Sgt B R Wilde.
Observer - P/O Leonard Arthur Brain RAFVR (88216). Wife of Liverpool.
? - Sgt Frederick Potts RAF (984209).
? - Sgt Thomas Beatty Nisbet RAFVR (980458).
Whitley Z6875 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 11th July 1941, it was
delivered to 102 Squadron at Topcliffe later the same month. The aircraft was slightly damaged by flak on the night of 5th/6th August 1941 on Ops
to Frankfurt with the crew landing safely at base and Cat.A/FB damage was the assessment for the paperwork. It was repaired on site only suffer
flak damage on 26th/27th August 1941 on Ops to Cologne, its crew made a safe landing at Bircham Newton at 05.45hrs where the damage was probably
inspected but repair was probably not made at Bircham Newton as it is listed in the squadron ORB as landing safely at base of Topcliffe just four
hours later at 09.45hrs. The damage was clearly very slight. Cat.A/FB damage was the result. It was again repaired on site and suffered a third
flak incident on 21st September 1941 when again Cat.A/FB damage was recorded and it was probably repaired on site again. On an unknown date it was
transferred to 78 Squadron at Croft and later to 51 Squadron at Chivenor. In April 1942 it was transferred to 1885 Target Towing & Gunnery Flight
at Coningsby and on 1st August 1942 it was transferred to 10 OTU at Abingdon. By the end of 1942 it was in MU store awaiting disposal and was
struck off charge on 27th January 1943.
S/Ldr Lalor and Sgt Potts were flying together on Ops to Frankfurt on the night of 29th/30th August 1941 in Whitley Z6863, the aircraft crashed in
Germany killing two of the crew and seriously injuring S/Ldr Lalor, he was pulled clear by Sgt Potts and another survivor but sadly died soon after of
his injuries. Sgt Potts became a PoW. John Lalor was born on 15th February 1913 at Ballygogue House, Borris-in-Ossory, Ireland to Joseph Lalor and
Beatrice Dobbs. He received his commission on 9th August 1937 to the rank of Acting P/O on probation, he was graded as P/O on 31st March 1938 and was
promoted to F/O on 29th February 1940 and to F/Lt on 28th February 1941. He was Mentioned in Despatches for his service but the entry in the London
Gazette has not yet been found (though this may have been on 1st January 1941 with a huge number of airmen). He is buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery
and was twenty eight years old.
Thomas Nisbet received his commission on 30th October 1941. As Acting F/Lt Nisbet was awarded the DFC with 51 Squadron in October 1944 but no
citation has yet been found. He survived the War and remained in the RAF Post-War and was granted a permanent RAF Commission as F/Lt in 1947. S/Ldr
Nisbet retired on 1st October 1959.
Sgt Wilde may have been a Sgt Bernard Roy Wilde RAFVR (1101053) and if so he was later posted to 37 Squadron and killed on 8th February 1944.
He was still in the rank of Sgt at that time in 1944 which does seem strange that he had not been promoted from August 1941 and presumably having
completed a Tour with 102 Squadron.
Leonard Brain received his commission on 25th November 1940 (with seniority of 20th November 1940) and was promoted to F/O exactly a year later
with the same five day back dating of seniority. He completed a tour with 102 Squadron and was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 21st November 1941 and
the London Gazette lists his DFC as being awarded for service with 220 Squadron (who were in Coastal Command not Bomber Command). Having been posted
to 458 Squadron he was killed on 16th February 1942 flying in Wellington DV539 from England to Malta when the aircraft was shot down off Sicily.
His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. He was thirty three years old.