Whitley Z9276 near Foxholes.
On the night of 27th / 28th December 1941 the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were tasked with flying an operational flight to bomb Dusseldorf and had left Croft airfield at 17.40hrs. 78 Squadron's orders on this night were to cross the Yorkshire Coast at around 17.54hrs and fly across the North Sea to the next turning point of Egmond on the Dutch coast an hour later. Outbound and not too long after setting out this aircraft began to suffer technical problems linked to a glycol leak in the port engine, the engine began to overheat and eventually failed. The effects of icing conditions on the airframe also effected flying, the crew jettisoned most of their bomb load off the Yorkshire coast and attempted to fly to Driffield airfield but just over an hour into the flight at 18.45hrs the aircraft struck power cables near the village of Foxholes and crashed. Upon striking the ground the aircraft caught fire and three of the crew sustained injuries.
Local Scarborough historian Richard Percy gave me a transcript of a Scarborough ARP Warden's war diary and an entry recorded as being on 26th December 1941 but more likely recorded the following day records "6.40pm flashes S.W. later transpired British out-going bomber in difficulty jettisoned bombs. Crew baled out. Pilot crash-landed safely." I would link this entry with Whitley Z9276 and the landing near Foxholes.
Pilot - P/O Robert Mark Shattock RAFVR (102302). Injured.
Second Pilot - Sgt Eric Wade RAFVR (1379591).
Observer - Sgt Eric Lee RAFVR (1012981). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt Colin Alfred Newman RAFVR (958994). Injured.
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt M P Lyndon RCAF (R/69581).
Whitley Z9276 was built to contract 106962/40 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd. at Baginton and was awaiting collection on 12th October 1941. It was taken on charge by 78 Squadron at Croft later the same month. As a result of the incident at Foxholes on 27th December 1941 Cat.E2/FB damage was recorded.
Robert Shattock was granted a commission in the RAFVR on 23rd July 1941 to the rank of P/O on probation. He flew an operational flight as a second pilot with 78 Squadron in late October 1941. 78 Squadron converted to fly Halifaxes soon after this incident at Foxholes and he was part of the unit that converted. Having been promoted to F/O he was killed flying with 78 Squadron on 29th April 1942 while flying Halifax W7663. He was thirty four years old and is buried in Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France. I have not found the details of when he rose to F/O but it was probably six months after his commission.
Colin Newman was killed on 24th September 1942 when 78 Squadron Halifax R9447 failed to return from Ops to Flensburg. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Eric Wade was granted a commission in April 1943. He was awarded a British Empire Medal but have not found any details of when this was awarded. On 23rd November 1943 he was killed flying in 105 Squadron Mosquito LR477 when it crashed near Swaffham, Norfolk. He is buried at Keighley (Utley) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Sgt Lyndon had survived baling out of Whitley Z9213 over Kent on 15th October 1941 on return from Ops to Nuremburg. I have not yet been able to fully identify him.
Eric Lee was granted a commission in February 1943. He appears to have survived the War.