Whitley near Flixton.
Eleven Whitley's were sent to the Leuna synthetic oil plant at Meresburg on this night, the 17th/18th November 1940. Gelsenkirchen was also
targeted. This aircraft took off at 18.30hrs and attacked is believed to have attacked the Gelsenkirchen target from 10,000 feet. On the
return this aircraft ran low on fuel, a forced landing was made in a field next to the River Hertford near Flixton at 04.25 hrs
on the 18th November 1940. The weather was reported to have been bad at the time as well. The crew were not believed to be seriously injured.
The aircraft was listed as Cat R damaged (meaning it was repairable), it was removed by road, repaired and flew again.
Details of this incident are vague at the moment.
The aircraft was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth at Baginton and delivered to MU storage in February 1940
and issued to 51 Sqdn at Dishforth in May 1940. 78 Sqdn moved into Dishforth on 15th July 1940 from Linton-on-Ouse and the
aircraft was transferred to them. It sustained Cat. R.(b) damage in the incident detailed above. It was repaired in works and
issued to 19 OTU at Kinloss on an unspecified date in 1941.It was written off with Cat.E/FA damage on 14th August 1942 when it
crashed in sea 1.5 miles North of Findhorn on a cross-Country flight with all on board being lost.
Pilot - Sub Lt P.S. Hoad (RN), ok.
Crew - Names unknown.
Sub Lt Hoad RN flew as second pilot to F/O D S Robertson on a number of operational flights
I do not know where exactly this aircraft was force-landed.