On 18th February 1943 this 1502 Beam Approach Training Flight aircraft made a tail heavy landing at Driffield airfield resulting in minor damage to the aircraft. The aircraft was probably repaired on site but was later collected by an ATA pilot on 10th April 1943 for transfer to 41 Group (maintenance).
Pilot - F/Sgt Harry Walmsley DFM RAFVR (1114164). Injured.
Harry Walmsley was flying as second pilot in Halifax W1041 on Ops to bomb the Tirpitz on the night of 27th / 28th April 1942. The aircraft was hit by flak and its crew baled out before the aircraft crashed in Norway. He was awarded the DFM for evading capture and the citation was a joint one with his pilot. Notification was printed in the London Gazette on 16th June 1942, his pilot Acting Wing Commander D C T Bennett was awarded the DSO and Sergeant Warnsley, the DFM; their citation reads.. "One night in April 1942, Wing Commander Bennett and Sergeant Walmsley were the captain and second pilot respectively of an aircraft which attacked the German naval base in the Trondheim fjord. In spite of a fierce defensive barrage, the attack was carried out at an extremely low level. The aircraft was hit by shell-fire and, later, burst into flames. Wing Commander Bennett and Sergeant Walmsley were forced to escape by parachute but both landed safely in occupied territory. Both Wing Commander Bennett and Sergeant Walmsley displayed excellent resource and, after escaping from German soldiers and police, they eventually reached Swedish territory after a most arduous and trying journey across snow-clad mountains. Throughout, both Wing Commander Bennett and Sergeant Walmsley displayed courage, initiative and devotion to duty of the highest order." Linzee Druce details the incident in full on her website.
Harry Walmsley was posted from 1484 Flight to 1502 B.A.T. Flight on 14th December 1942. He would eventually receive a commission on 13th April 1945 (196858) to the rank of P/O on probation (emergency) and receive a promotion to F/O (war subs) on 13th October 1945. He died in 1992.
Oxford DF343 was built to contract B.55347/39 by Standard Motors Ltd. at Coventry and was awaiting collection in April 1942. It was initially placed into MU store before being taken on charge by 1502 B.A.T.Flight on 19th May 1942 at Driffield. As a result of sustaining damage on 18th February 1943 Cat.A(c)/FA damage was the assessment which only required a repair on site. On 10th April 1943 the aircraft was collected by an ATA pilot and flown to "41 Group". On 14th April 1943 it was taken on charge by 20 P.A.F.U. at Kidlington where it remained until the unit disbanded on 21st June 1945. On 9th September 1946 it was converted to Ground Instructional Airframe 6110M. After this conversion nothing more is known of the aircraft.
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