On the 15th of September 1942 this aircraft took off from Driffield at 09.55hrs. On the aircraft was an experienced pilot and an air gunner undertaken training. The crew were to undertake a fighter affiliation and a gunnery exercise. Towards the end of the exercise the pilot tried to lower the undercarriage, it failed to deploy properly, it has been assumed that the aircraft was by now close to base at this stage and the pilot elected to fly off again to try and free the undercarriage rather than risk a belly landing or landing on one main wheel. By now they were flying to the north-west of Scarborough and over higher ground, which was cultivated and had numerous wooded hillsides around the locality. The pilot performed a series of violent manoeuvres, in an attempt to hopefully shake the problem clear and make the landing gear come down. Whilst doing these manoeuvres he lost control, he ordered the air gunner to bale out and soon after the aircraft dived into the ground near Suffield at 11.37hrs. The pilot was sadly killed in the resulting crash.
In April 2006 I was fortunate to have been contacted by Peta Stilgoe, whos father was the surviving air gunner on this flight. I learn that he made his escape through the top of the aircraft, which one presumes was actually through the turret. He did this by putting his backside on one side of the opening, his feet on the other and pushed himself free. He was able to deply his parachute and landed in a cornfield in the locality. I learn that ""On landing, he was approached by the farmer, brandishing a pitchfork because he didn't recognise Dad's Australian uniform and thought he was the Enemy. The situation was not improved by the fact that Dad could not understand the farmer's broad country accent and the farmer could not understand Dad's Aussie accent.""
A local lady, the late Mrs Stockhill of Snainton, was a child at the time and living in Hackness recalled a plane flying very low, she and her friend hid under a bridge (the bridge/folly near Hackness church) fearing it was an enemy plane. Seconds later they heard an explosion as the aircraft crashed. Whilst I have yet to locate the actual crash site, the rough area of the crash is thought to be on this hillside somewhere.
Also in April 2006 I was fortunate to be put in contact with Mr Clifford Welburn, the former owner of Silpho Brow Farm, a couple of miles to the north east of Suffield. He recalled witnessing an airman parachute from an aircraft and land in one of his fields close to Silpho Brow, the visiting milkman then put him an his cart and took him (probably) to Cloughton to contact the RAF. At present, this airman is thought to be the survivor of this incident at Suffield.
The aircraft was built to contract 751867/38 by Boulton & Paul Ltd at Wolverhampton. It was delivered to the RAF in April 1941
and after a period in MU storage it was issued to 1484 TT Flt (Target Towing Flight) on an unspeciified date in early 1942.
The unit was redesignated 1484 TT&G Flt on 1st April 1942. It sustained Cat A/FA damage in a minor accident on 7th April 1942
and was repaired on site and returned to service. The details of this incident being, at 11.45 hrs on 7th April the aircraft
was landing at Driffield after an air test when a sudden gust of cross wind lifted the aircraft and one wing tip struck the ground,
crumpling the tip. The un-named pilot was unhurt. It was destroyed in the incident at Hackness, Cat E2/FA damage being sustained on 15th
September 1942. The aircraft had a total flying time of 122 hours.
Pilot - W/O Derek F P Jannings RNZAF, aged 25, of Wellington, New Zealand. Buried
Driffield Cemetery, Yorkshire. He had previously served with 40 Sqdn and had completed 14 operations with 40 Squadron
before being posted to 1484 Flt as a Staff Pilot. At his death he had a total of 539 flying hours.
Air Gunner - Sgt Alec C Walters RAAF (405255), aged 24 at the time. Of Brisbane, Australia. Baled out, OK.
The pilot's headstone at Driffield Cemetery, Yorkshire (better photo to follow).
Alec Walters undertook a number of flights whilst with this training unit, in the main they were in the Defiant,
but Whitley's were still being used at this time in the War as well. He was only at the Unit for a week and
in the days leading up to the incident described above he carried out
three flights on the 13th September (all with Pilot F/Sgt Hogg), and two on the 14th September (one with W/O Jannings and one with F/Sgt Junker).
He was allowed one day off following this incident on the 15th September and returned to flying on the 17th September with F/Sgt Hogg. On the 18th he
flew in a Whitley with F/Sgt Barron, practicing using a cine-camera. After this flight he finished the course and had a total of 135 hours flying to
his name, 53 being at night. Later in the War and by now a F/Lt he was awarded a DFC, gazetted on 16th December 1943, for "Skill and fortitude in operations against the enemy".
He was presented with his DFC at Buckingham Palace by King George VI on 9th May 1944. Some would say he was one of the luckiest
men in Bomber Command, he carried out two
complete Tour's of Duty and a further two operations on top; in total 52 Ops. One Tour was with 102 Sqdn, following re-training at 1663 HCU he joined 466 Sqdn for a further Tour in 1944.
38 of these operational flights were carried out at night. He survived the War and returned home
to Australia. He later was to have five children before
passing away in Brisbane, Australia in 1980. I would like to express my thanks to Peta Stilgoe for the
contacting me and for the photograph and information she has kindly given me with regard her father, without which this
account would not be as complete.
