Whitley near Riseborough, Pickering.
On the night of 3rd/4th August 1940 this crew were tasked with bombing oil refining targets the Ruhr Valley.
71 aircraft had taken part in the raid and three 78 Squadron Whitleys were part of this raid.
On their return they found the vale of York and the surrounding area covered in fog, two of these aircraft
ran very low on fuel being unable to find an airfield force landed in fields. The pilot of this aircraft
opted to force-land the aircraft when a gap in the cloud appeared in the Pickering area. He put the aircraft down with its wheels
up in a field down Marton Lane near the Pickering to Kirkbymoorside stretch of railway line just before the Riseborough cutting. The aircraft took
out a hedge row and lost its port rudder. It came to rest with its nose up against a fence bordering the railway line at
06.30 hrs on the 4th of August 1940 a couple of miles to the west of Pickering. A Pickering man, Mr Cecil Cook, was a boy
living on Westgate, Pickering in 1940. He recalled the aircraft flying very low
over the town, having been asleep the noise of it woke him up and he got up to see it going over. The aircraft was
damaged slightly but the crew were not injured, they apparently walked to a farm and then
into Pickering for help with the pilots Canadian accent confusing the farmer who's side he was actually on!
The Whitley was removed by road, repaired and flew again.
The aircraft was built to contract 75147/38 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and delivered directly to 58 Sqdn at Linton-on-Ouse
in April 1940. It transferred to 78 Sqdn at Dishforth on an as yet unspecified date. Having sustained Cat. R(b) on 4th August 1940 in the
incident near Pickering it was taken away for repair. After repair in works it was later issued to 10 OTU at Abingdon in 1941. It transferred to
42 OTU at Ashborne in March 1943 and was eventually struck off charge on 29th August 1944.
A Google search for this aircraft's serial number has brought up an event just after the incident at Pickering;
on 11th September 1940, 10 Squadron Whitley P4941 the rear gunner baled out over Germany on night operations. The pilot,
F/Lt D.G. Tomlinson and rest of crew returned safely. The reason why the gunner baled out is not yet known
If this is the correct serial number then the damage must have only been slight at Pickering and then possibly
it was sustained damage on Tomlinson's flight and was sent for repair in works. The same F/Lt D. G. Tomlinson was
involved in two other incidents listed on my website, he force-landed a Whitley at Nether Silton and later crashed another Whitley
near Thirsk with the latter suffering fatalities.
Pilot - F/O D Stewart Robertson RAF, of Canada. Uninjured.
2nd Pilot - P/O Michael L Stedman RAF, of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Uninjured.
Obs - Sgt Robert V Collinge RAF, of Rochdale, Lancs. Uninjured.
WOp/AG - Sgt F A Barton RAF. Uninjured.
Air Gunner - F/Lt N W McLeod RAF. Uninjured.
Stewart Robertson was born Ogema, Saskatchewan but his family moved to Calgary where he went to school. He worked for the Royal
Bank of Canada for nearly two years before leaving for England and being accepted into the RAF at the end of May 1937. He began training at
2 FTS on 12th July 1937 flying a Blackburn B2 solo in eleven days, he left here on 4th September 1937 and continued his training. He was awarded his
Wings on 3rd January 1938. Prior to the war he is reported to have flown a number of aircraft in differing roles gaining flying experience.
He would eventually solo the Whitley for the first time on 24th February 1940 probably with a training unit. He force-landed one in March 1940 at
Upavon but its identity is yet to be discovered. He was posted to 10 OTU in April 1940 and completed his training.
He was posted to "B" Flight,
51 Sqdn on 20th May 1940 and flew his first Op. on 24th May acting as second pilot to S/Ldr Richard Wildey and in the next 27 days they
completed 13 operations. On 17th June his aircraft suffered engine trouble on return from Gelsenkirchen, he was able to return to base on
one engine. One flight was to Turin, using the Channel Islands as a forward landing ground, the aircrafts port engine iced up before
crossing the Alps so he returned early. Following these flights with 51 Sqdn he was given three weeks off and he and his crew transferred to
78 Sqdn at Dishforth on 19th July 1940.
His first flight with 78 Sqdn was on the night he arrived, his aircraft was attacked by two fighters and heavy AA fire was reported. He
completed a further 25 operational flights with 78 Sqdn and thus completed a Tour. He was later awarded a DFC for "gallantry and
devotion to duty in the execution of air operations" the recommendation also stated that "this officer has completed 29 operational flights
over enemy territory at night. In all circumstances he has exhibited a high degree of resolution and skill. His determined
and cheerful demeanour have set a valuable example to other members of the squadron." His DFC was
presented by King George VI on 8th February 1941.
In late November 1940 he was posted to 10 OTU at Abington and training to be an instructor at 24 CAOS at Moffat, Rhodesia. Whilst stationed here
he married in November 1941. He returned to England in October 1942 as a Squadron Leader, he commanded "B" Flight of 149 Sqdn at Lakenheath flying
Stirlings where he completed his second Tour and was posted to 81 OTU at Tilstock in March 1943, having completed 44 operational flights.
Now a W/C, he was involved in an accident on 26th August 1943. He was in the control tower at Steap, a satellite airfield of Tilstock,
when Whitley HF628 crashed into it, two on the aircraft were killed and he and five others were injured. A reorganisation of the
RAF would then see 81 OTU transfer to 38 Group leading up to the D Day landing. He took command of the Unit. He saw out the War in this role and
would later return home to Canada.
On 19th march 1948 he joined 403 RCAF Reserve Squadron until December the following year when he made his final flight in a Mustang. He had flown
19 different types of aircraft and had amassed 1887 hours flying time.
The Whitley in the field with F/O Robertson on the wing (photo Mr D. Birrell).
The above photograph was found on a website detailing D. Stewart Robertson's life and flying career, the webpage was put
together by his son-in-law Mr Dave Birrell
and contains a wealth of information on the pilot and life in the early years of the War in Bomber Command in Yorkshire.
""http://www.lancastermuseum.ca:80/s,robertson.html""
A modern day photograph of the site.
Sgt Collinge was killed on 26th July 1941, he and all on board Halifax L9507 were killed. He was 22 years old. The whole of his
crew on this flight are buried in Berlin.
F/Lt Mcleod. It is believed that he and Sgt Barton survived the War though research is on going.
P/O Stedman was reported missing on 14th December 1940, he was the pilot of Whitley N1485; he was lost when the
aircraft was abandoned over the Wash. He was 20 years old.
