Halifax DG352 at Rufforth airfield.
On 19th April 1943 the crew of this 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit aircraft were undertaking a dual control training exercise and practicing a three-engine landing at Rufforth airfield, a pupil pilot was at the controls and the aircraft swung to starboard while at low speed and height. The instructor took control and attempted to go round again but at 10.05hrs the aircraft but hit a tree and crashed. One of the crew sustained slight injuries due to chemical burns. The investigation deemed that whilst the pupil had made a mistake which resulted in the aircraft entering a swing, the instructor showed bad judgement in trying to go round rather than making a landing but it deemed that he was a relatively inexperienced Halifax instructor so no disciplinary action was taken; the only action taken was to return this very experienced pilot to 138 Squadron where he continued to fly operationally. The pupil pilot's name is not yet confirmed but a flight engineer's name is given in the unit records. I would link his crew as also being involved.
Pilot (instructor) - F/O Richard Pennington Wilkin DFC MiD CMC RCAF (J/6026).
Flight Engineer - Sgt Ralph Sykes RAFVR (1085070), of Selby, Yorkshire. Injured by chemical burns.
Pilot (pupil) - Sgt Peter Roland Raggett RAFVR (1330896).
Rest of crew - Names unknown.
Richard Wilkin was born in Edmonton on 15th September 1919 and was the son of William and Hilda Wilkin.
He enlisted into the RCAF there on 15th October 1940. He received his commission on 4th July 1941 to the rank of P/O and later received promotions to F/O on 4th July 1942, F/Lt on 1st May 1943 and S/Ldr on 19th August 1943. On arrival in the UK he first served with 138 Squadron begining 30th September 1941. On 28th December 1941 he was almost certainly the pilot of one of two Halifaxes tasked with an operational flight to Czecoslovakia to drop agents. One of the teams dropped consisted of Jan Kubis and Josef Gabcik whos sole mission was to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich (one of the main architects of the Holocaust and the most brutal of the Nazi leadership). They attacked him on 27th May 1942 and he died a week later which saw reprisal attacks by the Nazi's to Jews and Czech citizens. P/O Wilkin was awarded the Military Cross (Czechoslovakia) for service with 138 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th April 1942. It is possible that it was for his part in dropping the agents. He was recommended for the DFC on 21st December 1942 and the award was granted with notification in the London Gazette on 9th February 1943, the citation for his DFC reads..
"Flying Officer Wilkin has been engaged on special operations over a period of more than fourteen months. During this time he has made many long and difficult sorties of a most exacting nature and has achieved great success. His courage and determination under all circumstances have been a fine example for other members of his squadron."
He was detached to 1663 Conversion Flight on instrucional duties begining 17th March 1943 but following the mishap at Rufforth on 19th April 1943 he was posted back to 138 Squadron the following day. On 20th September 1943 he was still serving with 138 Squadron and flying Halifax DG252 on an SOE flight named Operation Catarrh 14, to Holland, the aircraft crashed into the sea off the Frisian Islands. His body was later recovered and is buried in Terschelling General Cemetery, Netherlands. He was just twenty four years old. S/Ldr Wilkin was Mentioned in Despatches for service with 138 Squadron, Gazetted on 14th January 1944 after his death. Also in Halifax DG252 and who died in the same incident was F/O James Brown who had survived a serious accident at Linton on Ouse on 23rd December 1940 to Whitley P5098.
Halifax DG352 was built to contract ACFT/637/C4/C by Rootes Securities Ltd. at Speke and was flown to 45 MU at Kinloss on 4th February 1943. The aircraft was taken on charge by 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit at Rufforth on 14th April 1943 and as a result of the mishap there on 19th April 1943 Cat.E/FA damage was the damage assessment. The brand new aircraft was struck off charge on 26th April 1943 having flown just nine hours from new.
Sgt Ralph Sykes was killed on 23rd October 1943 with 102 Squadron while flying in Halifax HR911, he and three other members of his crew died. He was just twenty years old and is buried in Hanover War Cemetery, Germany. It is possible that some of his crew on this night were the same that were with him when the mishap at Rufforth occurred. The Yorkshire Air Museum have a painting depicting HR911 over Germany in their collection.
