On the evening of 25th November 1943 the crew of this 102 Squadron aircraft took off from Pocklington airfield at around 23.00hrs to undertake an operational flight to bomb Frankfurt. As the aircraft left the ground it clipped the boundary fence with one of the main wheels and a tyre was burst, the pilot did not loose control and the crew continued with the operational order. On their return to Pocklington airfield in the early hours of the following morning a safe landing was made despite the flat tyre, the pilot remained in control and no further damage resulted. I believe that the aircraft involved was Halifax HX153 but have yet to view the full squadron records. While I am not intending on recording every flat tyre sustained to aircraft in the history of Yorkshire this incident resulted in the aircraft striking something on the ground in Yorkshire prior to then landing in Yorkshire.
Pilot - F/O Raymond Noel Eddy RAFVR (134540).
Navigator - Sgt George Alfred John Wotherspoon RAFVR (1503511).
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt C W Gibbons.
Air Gunner - Sgt J Vaughan.
Air Gunner - Sgt S A Cooke.
Flight Engineer - Sgt T Morris.
Bomb Aimer - F/O Harold Frank Pullen RAF (50980). Squadron Bombing Leader.
Raymond Eddy received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 20th November 1942 and rose to F/O six months later. He left the RAF in 1948.
Harold Pullen received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 13th April 1943 and was promoted to F/O on 13th October 1943. For service with 102 Squadron he was awarded the DFC, Gazetted on 16th February 1945 and was later promoted to F/Lt on 13th April 1945. Post-war he remained in the RAF and transferred to the Secretarial Branch in 1949. He retired at his own request on 1st February 1968.