Whitley Z6958 damaged by flak, landed at Topcliffe airfield.
In the early hours of 17th October 1941 this 102 Squadron aircraft had taken off from Topcliffe at 00.41hrs for Ops to Duisburg, the aircraft was hit by flak and although the pilot was able to make a safe landing at Topcliffe at 07.25hrs the aircraft was later assessed and the damage was deemed too severe so it was written off.
Whitley Z6958 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 3rd August 1941, it was then taken
on charge by 102 Squadron at Topcliffe later the same month. As a result of minor flak incident on 13th September 1941 Cat.A/FB damage was recorded and
the aircraft was repaired on site. As a result of the damage sustained on 17th October 1941 and landing safely Cat.B/FB damage was initially recorded but
after further assessment it was Re.Cat.E and struck off charge as beyond economic repair. The crew of the aircraft when it was damaged in the October 1941 incident was..
Pilot - Sgt Lawrence William Carr RAFVR (1250644).
Second Pilot - Sgt J E Church (probably Sgt James Ernest Church RAFVR (1376275)).
Observer - Sgt Ronald B Shoebridge RAFVR (923287).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Dennis Cramp RAFVR (908995).
Air Gunner - Sgt Reginald John Horton RAFVR(AAF) (846505).
Sgt Carr was to have flown Whitley Z6868 on 31st August 1941 but he and his crew noticed a problem with it and were able to run clear before it explosed
and all 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 received a commission on 19th June 1943 (155234) and survived the War.
He received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) on 13th February 1943 and was promoted to F/O on probation (war subs) on 13th
August 1943 and F/Lt (war subs) on 13th February 1945. After service with 102 Squadron he was probably posted to a non-operational unit for a time before
being later posted to 640 Squadron. Having risen to the rank of F/Lt was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 17th July 1945. Post-War he remained in the RAFVR and
relinquished his commission in the General Duties Branch on 15th December 1949 on appointment to the re-constituted RAFVR. In the late-1950's undertook a
series of transfers between branches, firstly to the Equipment Branch, then to the Technical Branch of the RAF and he later transferred to the Provost
Branch of the RAF om October 1959. He finally relinquished his commission as F/Lt on 15th December 1954 after a fine period of service to his country. He died in Augsut 1968. I thank his son for contacting me in January 2021.
Sgt Shoebridge later became a PoW while flying with 102 Squadron having converted to Halifaxes. He was flying in the same Halifax as F/Sgt Carr (as
detailed above), Sgt Shoebridge evaded capture until 10th May 1942 but was apprehended and spent the remainder of the war as a PoW. He was probably born
in London in 1920, married in Bromley, Kent in 1946. He probably died in London in 1977.
Dennis Cramp died serving with 44 Squadron on 13th July 1943 who had been Mentioned in Despatches earlier in the War.
The second pilot was almost certainly one Sgt James Church RAFVR (13762775) who was later killed with 77 Squadron on 13th March 1942 and is buried at
Leeming Churchyard, Yorkshire. He was flying in Whitley Z6075 that crashed near Leeming.
Reginald Horton was born in Stoke Newington in April 1913. He survived a serious accident on 24th October
1942 in 102 Squadron Halifax W1181 when their aircraft landed on top of Halifax DT512 at Holme on Spalding Moor airfield and sadly some of the crew of DT512 were killed.
F/Sgt Horton was awarded the DFM for service with 102 Squadron, Gazetted on 12th March 1943, the citation reads.."F/Sgt Horton has displayed great coolness
and courage in action over enemy territory on many occasions. He is an air gunner of outstanding merit who has been particularly successful against night fighters."