2020

www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk

Author: Robert PALMER, M.A.

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley GR Mk. VII No. 502 Squadron

THE LAST FLIGHT OF:

WHITLEY Z.9517 A narrative of the last flight of Whitley Z.9517, flown by P/O Kenneth CLUGSTON, which failed to return to R.A.F. St. Eval from a sortie over the Bay of Biscay on 17 August 1942. The body of one of the air crew was recovered off northern Spain, but the other five airmen remain ‘Missing, presumed dead’. Copyright ©www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk (2020) 13 July 2020 [THE LAST FLIGHT OF WHITLEY Z.9517]

The Last Flight of Whitley Z.9517 Version: V3_7 This edition dated: 13 July 2020 ISBN: Not yet allocated.

All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means including; electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, scanning without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

Author: Robert PALMER, M.A. (copyright held by author); Researcher: Stephen HEAL, David HOWELLS & Graham MOORE. Published privately by: The Author – Publishing as: www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk

The Air Forces’ Memorial at Cooper’s Hill, Runnymede, Surrey. This memorial contains the names of 20,279 British and Commonwealth air crew who were lost in the Second World War, and have no known grave. https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-cemeteries-and-memorials/109600/runnymede-memorial

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Contents

Chapter Pages

Introduction 3

The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley 3 – 5

Operational History with Coastal Command 5 – 7

No. 58 Squadron and R.A.F. St. Eval 7 – 11

Circumstances of the Crash 11

Court of Inquiry 11

Accidents Investigation Branch 12

The Air Crew 12 – 23 46639 P/O K. W. CLUGSTON, R.A.F. 12 J/10288 P/O P. J. C. SAVAGE, R.C.A.F. 12 – 14 A/400240 F/Sgt K. McK. LESLIE, R.A.A.F. 14 – 22 R/82378 F/Sgt J. R. R. METIVIER, R.C.A.F. 22 – 23 1166486 Sgt A. MARSHALL, R.A.F.V.R. 23 1056596 Sgt E. R. PHILLIPSON, R.A.F.V.R. 23

Conclusions 23 – 24

In Memoriam 25

Map 26

Photographs 27 – 36

Appendix ‘A’ – Log Book of F/Sgt K. MacK. LESLIE, R.A.A.F. 37 – 49

Bibliography and Sources 50

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Introduction

In March 2014, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on a routine flight between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. This prompted international publicity, an extensive search of the oceans, and demands from the families for answers about the loss of their loved ones. In peacetime, the international response to an incident of this nature is to be expected, and the grief of the next of kin natural. They want, and demand, to know what happened to the people on board the flight, so there can be a degree of closure.

In wartime, the loss of an aircraft under similar circumstances was common, the response low-key, but the grief and loss felt by the families no less compelling. On several occasions, aircraft took off on operational or training flights, and failed to return to base, or failed to arrive at their destination. Often, nothing further was heard of the fate of that aircraft, or the men who were flying in it on that sortie. Squadrons would usually send up other aircraft to search the last known position of the missing aircraft, and as the war progressed, the Royal Air Force developed an efficient Air-Sea Rescue service. In spite of this, the fate of many aircraft remains unknown to this day, with many men still listed as: ‘Missing, presumed dead’.

For these men, who are ‘Missing’, the United Kingdom erected a memorial called the Air Forces’ Memorial, on Cooper’s Hill, Runnymede, between Windsor and Egham in Surrey. This memorial (more commonly known as the ‘Runnymede Memorial’) contains the names of 20,276 British and Commonwealth air crew who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom, Northern and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. They came from all parts of the Commonwealth to fly with the Royal Air Force; including Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and Rhodesia.

Sir Edward MAUFE designed the memorial, which was unveiled by The Queen on 17 October 1953. It is a place of peace and beauty, and is where the names of five men who were lost on board Whitley Z.9517 are commemorated. Remember them when you visit. This is their story.

The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

The Whitley was one of the three designs of strategic bomber aircraft that equipped Bomber Command in the early years of the Second World War. The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was designed to Specification B.3/34 issued in July 1934. It was based upon an earlier design, the A.W.23 bomber/transport, which first flew on 4 June 1935, but the Whitley featured a mid-wing layout, whereas its predecessor was a low-wing design. The A.W.38 was built as an all metal, stressed skin, monoplane, with a retractable undercarriage. The design of the wing was notable, being large, very thick, and set at a high angle of incidence to keep landing speeds low. The design of the wing gave the Whitley a distinctive nose-down attitude in flight. The fuselage was long, and thin, resembling a box, which led to the nickname of the ‘flying coffin’.

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The restrictive fuselage was one of the reasons that the Whitley did not have a distinguished career with the Royal Air Force, compared to its compatriot the Vickers Wellington. The wider Wellington fuselage made it more adaptable for training roles, and the installation of A.S.V. radar and Leigh Light for Coastal Command. A rear turret was provided in the Whitley, as was a turret above the bomb aimer’s position in the front of the aircraft.

The prototype Whitley (K.4586) first flew on 17 March 1936, and made its first public appearance at the R.A.F. display at Hendon later that same year. The Air Ministry placed an initial contract for eighty aircraft in August 1935, before the aircraft had flown, because of the urgent need for a new bomber to replace the Handley Page Heyford and Fairey Hendon bi-plane bombers. The first production aircraft, Whitley Mk. I K.7183, was powered by two Tiger IX radial engines, each producing 795 hp. The R.A.F. received thirty-four Mk. I aircraft, before production moved onto the Mk. II, fitted with improved Tiger engines.

Performance of the new bomber with the Armstrong Whitworth Tiger engines was disappointing, so for the Mk. IV, Rolls-Royce Merlin IV engines (developing 1,030 hp) were fitted. The Merlins were liquid cooled, in-line engines, while the Tigers were air cooled radials. In addition, for this mark, a power operated rear turret replaced the manually operated predecessor. Forty Mk. IV aircraft were delivered to the R.A.F. in 1938. The next development was the Mk. V, which was fitted with 1,145 hp Merlin X engines. The fuselage was made fifteen inches longer, and the tail fins redesigned on this version. Whitley N.1345 was the first Mk. V version issued to the R.A.F. in 1939, with the last LA.950 being delivered on 6 June 1943. Of the total production of 1,737 Whitley aircraft, 1,466 were Mk. V versions.

For Coastal Command duties, the Whitley G.R. Mk. VII was developed. This general reconnaissance version of the aircraft was designed for anti-submarine patrol, with extended range, A.S.V. radar installed, and the ability to carry an air crew of six, instead of the usual five. The prototype Mk. VII, P.4949, was followed into service by one-hundred and forty-six production aircraft, commencing with Z.6960.

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In September 1939, R.A.F. Bomber Command had six Whitley equipped squadrons, all in No. 4 Group. On the first night of the war, ten Whitley Mk. III aircraft of No. 51 and 58 Squadrons flew sorties over Germany dropping leaflets. The Whitley was obsolete as a bomber by early 1942, with the last operational aircraft being retired in April 1942. They continued to serve as glider tugs, transport and paratrooper training aircraft into 1943 and beyond.

The Whitley aircraft were built at the Armstrong Whitworth factory at Baginton, Coventry. The Mk. V had a wing span of 84’, a length of 70’ 6”, and a height of 15’. It weighed 19,330 lbs empty, and 28,200 lbs loaded. The Whitley Mk. V had a maximum speed of 222 mph at 17,000 feet, and a cruising speed of 185 mph. The range was 1,650 miles with 3,000 lbs of bombs on board. The Whitley had four 0.303 machine guns in the rear turret, power operated in the Mk. V. There was one 0.303 machine gun mounted in the front turret.

Many pilots saw the aircraft as an old lady, easy to fly, with no vices. The aircraft were full of character, but they were slow, and could carry only a small bombload. By 1942, the Whitley was obsolete for strategic bombing operations, hence their transfer to Coastal Command as an interim measure until the provision of more capable aircraft.1

Operational History with Coastal Command

The Whitley was designed for duties as a bomber, but early in the war, the needs of Coastal Command required the transfer of aircraft from Bomber Command. No. 58 Squadron was the first unit to be attached to Coastal Command, moving from R.A.F. Linton-on-Ouse to R.A.F. Boscombe Down in Wiltshire on 6 October 1939. The Squadron carried out convoy escort patrols over the English Channel and Western Approaches using Whitley Mk. III aircraft. It returned to Bomber Command on 14 February 1940, moving back to its previous base at R.A.F. Linton-on-Ouse.

On 8 April 1942, now equipped with Whitley Mk. V aircraft, the Squadron moved to R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall on anti-submarine patrols. In May 1942, the Squadron began to receive Mk. VII aircraft, designed for Coastal Command duties. On 29 July, the Squadron sent a detachment to R.A.F. Wick in northern Scotland, and on 30 August, the whole unit moved to R.A.F. Stornoway on the Outer Hebrides for duties over the North Atlantic. In December 1942, the Squadron moved to R.A.F. Holmsley South in Hampshire, and began converting to Handley Page Halifax G.R. Mk. II.

The next squadron to receive the Whitley was No. 502 (Ulster) Squadron, which at the time was flying Anson aircraft on maritime general reconnaissance duties. The Squadron was based at R.A.F. Aldergrove, County Antrim, and received its first Whitleys in October 1940. On 27 January 1941, the Squadron moved to R.A.F. Limavady in County Londonderry. In February 1942, the Squadron spent a short period at R.A.F. Docking in Norfolk, but on 22 February 1942, it arrived at R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall.

1 ROBERTS, R. N. The WHITLEY File (Tonbridge, Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1986) p.3

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At the same time, the Squadron started to receive Whitley Mk. VII aircraft, and it undertook duties over the Bay of Biscay and Western Approaches. In March 1943, the Squadron moved to R.A.F. Holmsley South in Hampshire to start converting to Handley Page Halifax G.R. Mk. II aircraft.

The third Whitley equipped squadron to serve with Coastal Command was No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron. Based at R.A.F. Dyce, this unit was equipped with the Avro Anson for maritime general reconnaissance and convoy escort duties. In November 1940, Whitley Mk. V aircraft started to arrive to replace the Ansons, which continued in service until November 1941. In April 1941, No. 612 Squadron moved to R.A.F. Wick, Caithness, from where it was posted to R.A.F. Reykjavik in Iceland with effect from December 1941. Whitley Mk. VII aircraft began arriving in June 1941. The Squadron spent six months serving in Iceland, before moving to R.A.F. Thorney Island in Hampshire in August 1942. A month later, it was back to Scotland and R.A.F. Wick, where it remained until April 1943. In November 1942, the Squadron received its first Vickers Wellington Mk. VIII aircraft, but deliveries were slow. In February 1943, the Wellingtons were taken away, and given to No. 172 and No. 179 Squadrons. In April 1943, the Squadron moved to R.A.F. Davidstow Moor in Cornwall, to begin operations over the Bay of Biscay. In May 1943, a move to R.A.F. Chivenor began with the conversion to Wellington Mk. VIII aircraft again, with the last Whitleys remaining at R.A.F. Davidstow Moor until the move was completed. The Squadron remained operating A.S.V. and Leigh Light equipped Wellingtons until the war’s end.

In May 1942, the escalation of the U-boat campaign in the Bay of Biscay led to the attachment of two squadrons from Bomber Command to Coastal Command. On 4 May 1942, No. 77 Squadron with its Whitley Mk. V aircraft, moved from R.A.F. Leeming in Yorkshire to R.A.F. Chivenor in North Devon. The other unit, No. 51 Squadron, equipped with Whitley Mk. V aircraft moved from R.A.F. Dishforth in Yorkshire to R.A.F. Chivenor in North Devon on 6 May 1942. On 5 October 1942, with the new Wellington Mk. VIII aircraft now arriving at R.A.F. Chivenor, No. 77 Squadron moved to R.A.F. Elvington in Yorkshire and back to Bomber Command. On 27 October 1942, No. 51 Squadron moved back to Bomber Command at R.A.F. Snaith.

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Special mention must be made of the detachment of aircraft from No. 10 Operational Training Unit at R.A.F. Abingdon in Oxfordshire, to R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall. Their role was to undertake anti- submarine sorties over the Bay of Biscay flying Whitley Mk. V aircraft. The first four aircraft arrived at R.A.F. St. Eval on 1 August 1942, with aircraft operating on detachment until July 1943. These air crew, destined for Bomber Command, had to undertake long sorties out over the Atlantic, in their obsolescent aircraft, facing not only the weather but enemy fighters.

Many aircraft from No. 10 O.T.U. were lost on operations out over the Bay of Biscay, a role the air crew had not trained for specifically. Their effort was not in vain, for they had some success, and helped the British efforts to impose restrictions on the German and Italian U-boats operating from the French Atlantic ports.

58 Squadron and R.A.F. St. Eval

The month of April 1942 was to prove interesting for No. 58 Squadron as they received orders to move to R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall from their base in Yorkshire, and join Coastal Command in maritime patrol operations over the Bay of Biscay and the Western Approaches. This move was necessary due to the high rate of losses that the German and Italian submarines (U-boats) were inflicting on British and Allied merchant shipping. As Coastal Command did not have sufficient aircrew and aircraft suitable to patrol the Bay of Biscay and Western Approaches at this time, Bomber Command was ordered to release some Whitley squadrons to Coastal Command. No. 51 and 77 Squadrons were posted to R.A.F. Chivenor in North Devon, and No. 58 Squadron was posted to R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall. In addition, No. 10 Operational Training Unit sent Whitley aircraft on detachment to R.A.F. St. Eval for maritime patrol duties.

F/O MONTFORD and the Advance Party left R.A.F. Linton on Sunday 5 April, while the main party left by train at 15.00 hours on Tuesday 7 April from Tollerton railway station. The main party arrived at Newquay station at 06.30 hours on Wednesday 8 April, after travelling overnight. The Air Party left R.A.F. Linton on the same day at intervals, with the first aircraft taking off at 13.25 hours. All the aircraft arrived safely in Cornwall by late afternoon. On their arrival, the train had to be unloaded and all personnel settled into their quarters. There was no flying undertaken for the first five days in Cornwall, but from 14 April onwards, intensive training began for their new role.

On 12 April, two Sergeants, twenty-year-old R/78125 Sgt Robert S. FLEMING, R.C.A.F. and 1325122 Sgt Bert John LANGLEY, R.A.F.V.R., were on rocks at Porth Head on that Sunday evening when a large wave swept them from the rocks and into the sea. Both men disappeared, and neither of their bodies were located by the end of the month, but eventually, the sea gave up both men. Sgt FLEMING, who was a son of Robert and Lillias Mitchel FLEMING of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is buried in Grave 1374 of the St. Columb Major Cemetery. Sgt LANGLEY is buried in Grave 13304 of Section 20, Church of England, Class B, of the Handsworth Cemetery in Birmingham.

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On 20 April, No. 58 Squadron lost an aircraft and the entire crew which failed to return from a navigational exercise. A signal was received at 18.45 hours to the effect that the aircraft was returning to base, but it failed to return and was consequently posted as missing.

The air crew were:

NZ/41485 Sgt K. L. McADAM, R.N.Z.A.F. Pilot & Captain R/71577 Sgt D. NEWLOVE, R.C.A.F. Second Pilot 1375829 Sgt A. T. G. GOUGH, R.A.F.V.R. Air Observer 952271 Sgt R. J. HARWOOD, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG 903057 Sgt J. McCLELLAND, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG 903435 Sgt P. J. LEAHY, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG

Twenty-four-year-old Sgt Kenmir Loudon McADAM was a son of Charles Loudon and Mabel Maud McADAM of Mornington, Dunedin, New Zealand. He is commemorated on Panel 117 of the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey. Twenty-seven-year-old F/Sgt Dudley NEWLOVE was the only son of William and Olive NEWLOVE of Islington, Ontario, Canada. His was the only body recovered, and he is buried in the Protestant Section of Bantry Abbey Cemetery in County Cork in the Republic of Ireland. Sgt Archer Thomas George GOUGH was the son of Mr and Mrs F. A. GOUGH of Biggin Hill in Kent, and he is commemorated on Panel 84 of the Runnymede Memorial.

Sgt Reginald John HARWOOD was aged twenty-four years and the son of Edward and Amy HARWOOD of Tyseley, Birmingham. He is commemorated on Panel 85 of the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt James McCLELLAND was aged twenty-two years, and he was the son of Robert and Catherine Shaw Brodie McCLELLAND of Hendon, Middlesex. He is commemorated on Panel 88 of the Runnymede Memorial. The youngest member of the air crew was the only one who was married, as twenty-one-year-old Sgt Patrick Joseph LEAHY came from Bermondsey in London and was married to Yvonne LEAHY, who also came from Bermondsey. He is commemorated on Panel 87 of the Runnymede Memorial.

The first operational sorties were carried out by S/L LAWSON on 19 and 22 April, when he took Lieutenant Commander LUARD on two trips of a very secret nature. On 28 April, four aircraft were detailed to carry out an anti-submarine sweep over the Bay of Biscay on the first day of full operational duties for the Squadron. In addition, P/O CLUGSTON and his air crew undertook a sortie of seven hours and twenty minutes to escort a cable repair ship, which is not shown as an operational sortie in the Operations Record Book for the Squadron.

Again, on 29 April, four more sweeps were flown with the Commanding Officer of the Squadron taking part in one sortie.

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W/C HARVEY had as his crew P/O CLUGSON and his air crew, namely,

W/C HARVEY, R.A.F. Pilot & Captain 46639 P/O CLUGSTON, R.A.F. Second Pilot A/400240 Sgt K. McK LESLIE, R.A.A.F. Air Observer 1056596 Sgt E. R. PHILLIPSON, R.A.F.V.R. AG2 1166486 Sgt A. MARSHALL, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG Sgt EVERSON, WOp/AG

They took off at 07.10 hours in Whitley AD.711 (Z/58) and conducted an anti-submarine sweep over the Bay of Biscay. There were poor weather conditions over the Bay, and apart from some trawlers of unknown nationality, they saw nothing of interest. They landed safely at 16.05 hours.

In May 1942, the Squadron flew its first complete month of operations, and aircraft completed sixty sorties and 432 hours and 50 minutes were flown. Another 54 hours and 20 minutes were flown by the Squadron for non-operational reasons. On 2 May, two aircraft, one captained by F/Sgt STARK and the other by Sgt STRUTT both sighted German U-boats. The former was unable to attack, but the latter did so with undetermined results. The next day, P/O CLUGSTON was the captain of an operational sortie in Whitley Z.9427 (V/58). The Second Pilot was F/O ANDREWS, but otherwise the crew was the same as that which flew with W/C HARVEY. They took off at 12.40 hours and completed their sweep over the Bay of Biscay without incident, before landing safely at 19.50 hours.

Several of the patrols were sighting U-boats, with the culmination on 16 May of an apparently successful attack being made by F/Sgt STRUTT on a U-boat in the Bay of Biscay. Post-war research has not identified any U-boat that was sunk on this date. On 24 May, P/O CLUGSTON and his crew flew their third operational sortie. The air crew was the same except that Sgt WAY replaced F/O ANDREWS as the Second Pilot. They took off at 13.00 hours in Whitley Z.9427 (V/58) and patrolled the Bay of Biscay without incident. They landed safely back at Base at 20.45 hours. Their next sortie was on 31 May in the same aircraft and with the same crew. They were airborne at 10.30 hours and undertook an anti-submarine sweep of the Bay of Biscay. They sighted a Spanish trawler and conducted a homing exercise on their way back, but they abandoned it off Land’s End. They landed safely back at St. Eval at 18.10 hours.

Once again, P/O CLUGSTON had the same crew and flew the same aircraft for his next sortie on 10 June 1942. They took off at 05.15 hours and saw two trawlers during their patrol of the Bay of Biscay. They landed at 13.15 hours. This was the only operational sortie that P/O CLUGSTON and his crew completed in this month.

2 Usually in Coastal Command, all Wireless Operators and Air Gunners were dual qualified. PHILLIPSON is shown by the C.W.G.C. as a pure Air Gunner. This may be incorrect.

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On 5 July, No. 58 Squadron managed to send out eleven aircraft on anti-submarine sorties across the Bay of Biscay. P/O CLUGSTON and his crew took off at 14.20 hours in Whitley Z.9209 (T/58) and on reaching the Bay, they saw six Tunnyman fishing vessels with their lines out. Then, the rear gunner saw the wake of a U-boat. The aircraft turned to attack at an angle of 15o to the track of the U-boat and the pilot dropped six depth charges from 50 feet above the U-boat. The second depth charge exploded 50 yards ahead of the swirl and dead ahead. The U-boat disappeared, with puffs of black smoke seen, and an 80-foot diameter oil patch was visible after 30 seconds. By six minutes after the attack, this oil patch had spread to 150-yards across. Six minutes after the attack, the U- boat bows appeared 10 feet above the surface at a steep angle. The hull of the U-boat shuddered, and it was seen to slither backward below the surface. T/58 carried out the baiting procedure for half an hour followed by a close search for another half an hour, and with nothing else seen of note, T/58 turned back for home. The aircraft landed safely at 20.30 hours. Once again, while there is little doubt that P/O CLUGSTON and his crew thought at the time that they had sunk a U-boat, post- war research has shown that no U-boat was lost in the Atlantic Ocean on or around 5 July 1942, although one was sunk by No. 172 Squadron the following day.

Two days later, P/O CLUGSTON and his crew were airborne again in Whitley Z.9427 (V/58).3 They took off at 15.00 hours on a special anti-submarine patrol in the northern sector of the Bay of Biscay. They saw a large number of Tunnyman sailing fishing vessels. The crew saw a verey cartridge smoke and then they sighted a British design of dinghy with six men in it, all of whom were alive. V/58 climbed to contact Headquarters No. 19 Group and report their sighting, and in doing so they lost touch with the dinghy. It transpired that another Whitley was directed to the location and found the dinghy and the six men were recovered. V/58 sighted Chausee de Sein and altered course in consequence. On their way home, V/58 sighted a large number of crabbers out fishing. V/58 landed safely at 23.35 hours after an eventful sortie.

On 12 July, P/O CLUGSTON and the same air crew flew another operational sortie. They were airborne at 06.10 hours in Whitley AD.711 (Z/58) for an anti-submarine patrol over the Bay of Biscay. They landed at 14.30 hours with nothing of consequence to report.

No. 58 Squadron was on the move once again in August 1942. P/O CLUGSTON and his crew had flown up to R.A.F. Skitten in Caithness on 28 July. It was to be based in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, and made the journey by road, rail, sea, and air. On 1 August, P/O CLUGSTON was the captain of Whitley BD.246 (Q/58) which took off at 01.50 hours for an anti-submarine patrol in northern waters. The purpose of the sortie was described by F/Sgt LESLIE as an anti-submarine escort to a mine laying convoy. Whatever the purpose of the sortie, it passed off uneventfully, and they landed at R.A.F. Leuchars at 12.20 hours. The important issue with this sortie is that P/O SAVAGE, R.C.A.F., replaced Sgt WAY as the second pilot.

3 This Whitley Z.9427 appears in the Operations Record Book for July 1942 as V/58. It was transferred to No. 19 O.T.U. on a date unknown, but presumably late July as Whitley Z.9524 (from the same batch as Z.9517) was allocated the Squadron code letter of ‘V’ by the beginning of August.

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On 6 August, P/O CLUGSTON and the same air crew undertook another operational sortie. They took off at 12.20 hours in Whitley Z.9524 (V/58) for a ten-hour long anti-submarine sweep in northern waters.4 Nothing of any interest occurred during this flight and they landed safely at 22.20 hours back at R.A.F. Wick. On 10 August, their next sortie was equally uneventful. They took off at 04.00 hours in Whitley Z.9517 (U/58) and landed at 10.25 hours. Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Z.9517 was a Mark VII version, one of a batch of fourteen delivered to the R.A.F. between 31 January and 18 March 1942.5 On 11 August, P/O CLUGSTON flew U/58 down to R.A.F. St. Eval from R.A.F. Wick to resume patrols over the Bay of Biscay.

The Circumstances of the Crash

At 14.40 hours, on 17 August 1942, Whitley Mk. VII U/58 (Z.9517) took off from R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall on an anti-submarine sortie over the Bay of Biscay. For this sortie, one of the regular Wireless Operator/Air Gunners, Sgt EVERSON, was replaced by another Canadian, Sgt J. R. R. METIVIER, R.C.A.F.. This meant for this sortie the air crew were:

46639 P/O K. W. CLUGSTON, R.A.F. Pilot & Captain J/10288 P/O P. J. C. SAVAGE, R.C.A.F. Second Pilot A/400240 Sgt K. McK. LESLIE, R.A.A.F. Air Observer R/82378 Sgt J. R. R. METIVIER, R.C.A.F. WOp/AG 1166486 Sgt A. MARSHALL, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG 1056596 Sgt E. R. PHILLIPSON, R.A.F.V.R. AG6

The aircraft failed to return to base and was declared missing. Subsequently, a body was recovered by a fishing vessel in the Bay of Biscay. The deceased airman was landed at Cedeira in Spain, where he was identified as one of the Air Gunners from U/58. This confirmed that the aircraft had crashed into the sea. No trace of the other five men, or of the aircraft, were ever found. It transpired in post-war research that the Whitley had been shot down in combat with a FW 200 Condor aircraft near the coast of Galicia.

Court of Inquiry

As the aircraft failed to return from an operational sortie, no Court of Inquiry was convened.

4 See Note 3 regarding the serial numbers of the aircraft that carried the Squadron code V/58. 5 Fourteen Mk. VII Whitley aircraft were delivered to the R.A.F. between 31 January and 18 March 1942. Ten of these were allocated new to No. 58 Squadron, probably in late July and early August 1942, to replace Mk V aircraft that were reallocated. Z.9517 became U/58 and Z.9524 became V/58. Z.9517 was lost on 17 August, and Z.9524 was lost on 19 August after ditching off the Scilly Isles. Sgt LESLIE records that he flew in V/58 on 10 August, and the Operations Record Book confirms they flew in Z.9517 as V/58, but then Z.9517 was recoded as U/58 by 17 August, probably after it returned to St. Eval where Z.9524 was already carrying the code V/58, so Z.9517 was changed to avoid confusion! 6 Usually in Coastal Command, all Wireless Operators and Air Gunners were dual qualified. PHILLIPSON is shown by the C.W.G.C. as a pure Air Gunner, which may be correct because No. 58 Squadron was a Bomber Command squadron attached to Coastal Command. Alternatively, it may be an error, and PHILLIPSON was also dual qualified.

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Accidents Investigation Branch

The loss of Whitley Z.9517 was not referred to the Accidents Investigation Branch of the Air Ministry, as there was no merit in doing so in view of the circumstances of the loss.

The Air Crew

46639 Pilot Officer Kenneth William CLUGSTON, R.A.F.

Kenneth William CLUGSTON was born on 15 December 1918 in the Medway District of Kent. He was the eldest child and son of William CLUGSTON (1871 – 1955) and his wife Grace Annie. William CLUGSTON was born on 8 July 1871 in Cheshire, and he had one younger brother. Their mother died when William was just a nine-year-old child, and so he was sent to the Isle of Man to live with a great-uncle. In 1901, William was living back in Cheshire with his brother, but by 1911, he had moved to Mitcham in Surrey to live. He was now thirty-nine years of age and was a qualified chemist dispensator and living as a boarder in a house. William married Grace Annie HOOTON on 2 March 1918 in Maidstone, Kent, and their first child Kenneth was born nine months later. Their next child was a daughter, Grace, who was followed by Peggy. Then came two further sons, Jack and Eric. Twins Elizabeth Margaret CLUGSTON and Robert Wellesley CLUGSTON were born on 23 October 1931 in the parish of Eastry, Kent, by which time their father was sixty years of age. The twins were followed by the last sibling, Wendy. In September 1939, William, his wife and their children were living in the Pharmacy, High Street, Ash-next-Sandwich, in the parish of Eastry, where he ran a chemist and stationers’ shop. Both William and Grace died in 1955.

On 5 January 1936, Kenneth passed the Clerical Class examinations for the Civil Service, and also the examinations for H.M. Ministry of Works. He joined the Royal Air Force sometime after January 1939, and before the outbreak of the Second World War, being issued with a service number (655140) indicating that he had transferred from the Army. He was commissioned on 17 September 1941, as a Pilot Officer on probation (emergency), being granted the new service number 46639. He was commissioned from the rank of Leading Aircraftman, suggesting that he had served as a member of ground crew before being selected for pilot’s training.

As his body was never located, and he remains ‘Missing, presumed dead’ to this day, he is commemorated on Panel 68 of the Air Forces’ Memorial at Runnymede, Surrey. His probate settlement left effects to the value of £158 14s 4d, which passed to his father.

J/10288 Pilot Officer Peter John Christie SAVAGE, R.C.A.F.

Born in Montreal, Province of Quebec on 20 March 1920, Peter John Christie SAVAGE was the eldest child of the SAVAGE family. His father was Cyril George SAVAGE, and his mother Georgina Catherine Christie SAVAGE, and both were born in London, England. Cyril SAVAGE was the manager of the Anticosti Shipping Co.

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Peter had four siblings, James Christie SAVAGE, who was aged twenty-one years in 1942, and was also a Pilot Officer in the R.C.A.F., Audrey Joan Christie SAVAGE, aged nineteen years, Cyril Christie SAVAGE, aged eighteen years, and Michael George SAVAGE aged eight years. The family lived at 654 Lansdowne Avenue, Westmount, Province of Quebec, Canada. Peter was educated at the Stanstead Wesleyan College for his primary stage from 1926 until 1932.7 He moved onto Westmount High School, leaving in 1937, from where he studied mechanical engineering for two years at McGILL University in Montreal. He worked from August 1940 until March 1941 at the No. 3 Training Command Work Division, R.C.A.F. as an instrument technician. Prior to that, he had worked as an erector with the Fairchild Aircraft Company during the summer of 1939, after which he returned to McGILL. In his spare time, Peter SAVAGE enjoyed skiing, skating, and working on gym apparatus.

Peter SAVAGE was sent to No.3 Initial Training School, R.C.A.F. Victoriaville, Province of Quebec, where he was on Course 32, which ran from 27 July 1941 until 1 September 1941. He was assessed as: ‘Straight forward. Serious. Mature. Dependable. Alert and attentive. Commission Material’, and was recommended as a pilot. He was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on 1 September 1941, and he was posted to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School at R.C.A.F. Windsor Mill, Province of Quebec, on the same day. In respect of his flying training, the remarks on him said: ‘Rather slow at first, but progressed rapidly, and had developed into a very good service pilot.’ In respect of his ground training, he was adjudged to have: ‘Very good appearance, pleasing, confident personality, seems to be very confident. Has more mature mind than age indicates. Is very bright and apparently officer material. Conduct good.’ He was placed second in his class of twenty-six students. His course finished on 24 October 1941.

LAC SAVAGE was posted to No. 9 Service Flying Training School, R.C.A.F. Summerside, from 27 October 1941 until 27 February 1942. He flew Harvard Mk. II aircraft for forty-four hours, thirty minutes dual instruction, and forty-four hours, fifty-five minutes solo in daylight, and three hours twenty-five minutes dual, and nine hours fifteen minutes solo at night. His judgement was described as ‘weak’, but his ground training was rated above average. The concluding remarks were: ‘A good average student, who has shown favourable progress. His ability in the air and on the ground should make him a good General Reconnaissance man’. He was awarded his Flying Badge (‘Wings) and promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant on 27 February 1942. Later, he was commissioned with effect from 6 February 1942, which pre-dated the award of his Wings, and superseded his promotion to the rank of Temporary Sergeant. His previous service number of R/79380 was replaced by J/10288.

P/O SAVAGE embarked for the U.K. on 20 March 1942, and disembarked on 29 March. He would have been posted to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre and had to wait about six weeks before receiving a posting to No. 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit on 16 May 1942. He spent two months at R.A.F. Shawbury in Shropshire at No. 11 (P) A.F.U. learning about flying in the U.K. and Europe in wartime conditions.

7 Another form in his Personnel Record states he attended Three Rivers High School between 1926 and 1932.

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He moved onto No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, at R.A.F. Cranwell, on 7 July 1942, but was there for only two days before being posted to No. 58 Squadron on 9 July 1942.8 Just over a month later, he was dead. The family received a telegram to state that P/O SAVAGE was missing, following which the Commanding Officer, W/C A. G. FERGUSON-STEWART sent a short letter dated 20 August 1942, stating that his aircraft had failed to return from operations. As nothing had been heard, he was unable to give any reason for its failure to return. The first official letter from the Royal Canadian Air Force was dated 3 September 1942. It explains that P/O SAVAGE was the Second Pilot of a Whitley aircraft, which set out on a daylight patrol over the Bay of Biscay, and was not heard from again. The letter gave some hope that he could be a prisoner of war, and that the fact he was missing did not necessarily mean he was killed or wounded.

He was declared officially ‘Missing, presumed dead’ on 17 May 1943, with his family being awarded a gratuity of $191.72, which passed to his mother. Posthumously, he was awarded the 1939 – 45 Star, Atlantic Star, General Service Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. His mother received a Memorial Cross to signify her loss on 9 July 1943, which was delivered to her by a R.C.A.F. Chaplain. Mrs Ena SAVAGE wrote to Mrs LESLIE on 8 April 1943 expressing her concern over the loss of her son and requesting any information that the LESLIE family might have on the loss of the Whitley aircraft. The anguish that Mrs SAVAGE was feeling comes out strongly in the letter, and she mentions that he was a strong swimmer and could speak French. She expressed her sincere sympathies to Mrs LESLIE and asked to keep in contact.

It appears that there were some problems in the return of Peter’s personal effects to his family, with some key items missing. Peter’s father wrote in September 1945 requesting any definite news on him. This was passed to the Missing Research and Enquiry Service, Royal Air Force in Paris. They replied in detail on 1 November 1945, giving the location of Sgt PHILLIPSON’s grave, but that they could only presume that the aircraft had come down in the Bay of Biscay. On 6 July 1946, Peter’s mother wrote to the Air Ministry in Canada seeking any further information on the loss of her son. She was aware that the body of Sgt PHILLIPSON had been recovered, having been told by his mother. Mrs SAVAGE received a reply dated 13 July 1946, informing her, with regret, that no further information had been received about her son.

A/400240 Flight Sergeant Kenneth McKenzie LESLIE, R.A.A.F.

Kenneth McKenzie LESLIE was born on 15 May 1919. The family lived at 32, Central Park Road, East Malvern, Melbourne, in the State of Victoria. He was the third surviving child of Ewen Cameron LESLIE and Marjorie Isabel LESLIE (nee McKENZIE). Kenneth’s siblings were his elder brother Ewen, and his sister Marjorie, and his younger brothers Ian and Bruce. Sadly, Ewan, died in infancy.

8 It is not clear why he only spent two days at No. 3 (C) O.T.U., and it can only be surmised that No. 58 Squadron was in desperate need of Second Pilots having been transferred from Bomber Command, where Second Pilots had by this time been withdrawn.

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Kenneth (who was known as ‘Mac’ by his family as well as R.A.F. colleagues) attended Tooronga Road, Central School in East Malvern, from the age of twelve until he was fourteen. In 1934, aged fourteen, he moved to Melbourne High School. After he left school, he worked as a Bank Officer for the Commonwealth Bank in Melbourne. Mac LESLIE was a member of Malvern Lacrosse Club and also the Malvern Harriers Athletic Club. LESLIE enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 21 July 1940, at No. 1 Recruiting Centre, Royal Australian Air Force, Melbourne, and was given the service number 400240, and rank of Aircraftman 2nd Class. LESLIE was 5’ 8” tall, weighed 128 lbs, with a fair complexion, brown eyes, and fair, medium hair. His religious denomination was Presbyterian.

His first posting was to No. 2 Initial Service Wing at Bradfield Park, with effect from 22 July 1940, where he joined No.3 (Observers) Course. He moved onto No. 1 Air Observer School at R.A.A.F. Cootamundra on 19 September 1940, as a member of No. 4 Course. He was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftman on 16 September, i.e., just before he started his training at the Air Observer School. His course lasted from 19 September until 12 December 1940, and he flew a total of thirty- one hours and twenty minutes in daylight, and six hours at night, in Avro Anson and De Havilland Rapide aircraft. He scored well in the various tests he had to complete and achieved a final result of 80.9% which meant he passed the course.

The next stage of his training took place at No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, R.A.A.F. Evans Head, for the two-month long course to qualify as an air bomber and air gunner. He was a pupil on No. 4 Course at No. 1 Air Navigation School in Australia, held at R.A.A.F. Parkes, commencing on 13 February 1914, from where he was awarded his Air Observers Badge, having passed the course which concluded on 6 March.

His training complete, he was posted to No. 1 Embarkation Depot on 7 March 1941 to prepare for his voyage to the U.K., which is the same date he received his promotion to Temporary Sergeant. R.A.A.F. airmen who volunteered to serve overseas were attached to the R.A.F., but remained members of the R.A.A.F.. The effective date of Sgt LESLIE’s attachment was 9 April 1941. His conduct throughout his training was rated ‘Very Good’, and there is nothing of note on his Service Conduct Sheet.

Sgt LESLIE arrived in the U.K. on 1 August 1941 and was posted (as usual for incoming airmen from the Dominions) to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre at Bournemouth. Only two weeks later, a place was found for him at No. 22 Operational Training Unit, at R.A.F. Wellesbourne Mountford in Warwickshire, where he arrived on 16 August 1941. At the O.T.U., LESLIE was promoted to the rank of Temporary Flight Sergeant with effect from 7 September 1941, having completed the required six months in the rank of Sergeant. LESLIE does not appear to have become part of a regular crew, with him flying with eight different pilots including F/L HILYARD, or Sgt FIELD and Sgt FERRIER flying together. He completed his course successfully and passed out of his training programme.

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His first operational posting, with effect from 3 November 1941, was to No. 405 Squadron, R.C.A.F., which was a Canadian bomber unit. This Squadron was based at R.A.F. Pocklington in Yorkshire, but before he joined his unit, Sgt LESLIE was granted twelve days leave from 5 until 16 November. His first flight with his new squadron was on Christmas Eve, 1941, which was a training flight. He then joined a Canadian pilot P/O THIELE as his Observer, and LESLIE became part of a regular crew. His first flight with P/O THIELE was on 31 December, and again it was a training flight. Two more training flights took place on 4 and 6 January 1942, before P/O THIELE and F/Sgt LESLIE and the other crew members took off in Vickers Wellington bomber, W/405, for an operational sortie to Cherbourg in France. The sortie lasted for four hours and fifty-five minutes, but the aircraft crash landed at R.A.F. Holme on its return.

During the Second World War, the main means of communicating within families was by letter. These were the days before the internet and modern electronic devices made contacting families and friends across the world so easy as it is today. The LESLIE family have kindly made available some of the letters that Mac wrote home to his parents and wider family. It usually took between seven and ten days for a letter to reach the U.K. from Australia. In a letter from January 1942, he remarks: ‘The country looks remarkable from the air when it is snow covered’, but he goes on to say that on their return from Cherbourg ‘last night’, they ran into another aircraft that was just taxiing out to take off. He describes both aircraft as being ‘in an awful mess’ and that the other aircraft had a wing ripped off and the front turret badly damaged, and their Wellington lost one wing and had all the front right up to the pilot’s instrument panel damaged. Fortunately, no-one in either aircraft was injured apart from some cuts and bruises. LESLIE states how his crew were immediately concerned that the aircraft would catch fire, so they didn’t waste any time in exiting the Wellington. Again, fortunately, there was no fire in either aircraft. LESLIE describes the navigator’s job as ‘one long rush before and during a trip.’ He adds that on the morning of an operation, the entire crew take their designated aircraft up on an air test to see that the aircraft is alright, and all equipment is working correctly. Following the air test there was the briefing for the operation, including details of the target. Most of the crew could then rest until leaving for the aircraft on a crew bus, but the navigator had to prepare the flight plan, and in the words of LESLIE ‘rushes about in all directions until take off’. He still felt that being an Air Observer was not a bad job and if the crew had a good trip, the navigator could be pretty pleased with himself.

Mac LESLIE also disclosed in his January letter that he had run out of oxygen during the sortie to Cherbourg and he became very tired. He explained how the Air Observer was responsible for dropping the bombs over the target, leaving their seat at the navigator’s table to do so. The navigator has to unplug his oxygen to move to the bomb aimers compartment, where he can plug in again, but LESLIE describes how he gasped for air making that move.

F/Sgt LESLIE undertook four more operational sorties while serving with No. 405 Squadron. All three were with P/O THIELE, with a trip to Emden on 15 January 1942, but on their return, they were unable to locate their base at Pocklington because of fog and low cloud, so they landed at R.A.F. Dalton in Yorkshire, which was a satellite airfield to R.A.F. Topcliffe.

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On 17 January 1942, P/O THIELE and his crew flew to Bremen on a bombing sortie, and they were in the air for four hours and fifty-five minutes. It was a flight of six hours and forty minutes on 31 January 1942 when they were tasked with attacking Brest. On their return, they had to land at R.A.F. Mildenhall in Suffolk. F/Sgt LESLIE’s last flight with P/O THIELE and No. 405 Squadron was on 12 February 1942, when the Squadron was ordered to attack the three major German warships, the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen as they made their way through the English Channel from Brest back to Germany in what has become known as the ‘Channel Dash’. P/O THIELE located one of the main warships, either the Scharnhorst or Gneisenau, but they were unable to bomb them because of low cloud. He was transferred to No. 58 Squadron with effect from 20 February 1942.

LESLIE’s next letter is dated 21 February 1942, the day after he arrived with No. 58 Squadron at R.A.F. Linton-on-Ouse. He expresses his concern about the Japanese advances in the Pacific which at the time were threatening Australia, which he states is very worrying, and he wishes that all the Australians serving in the Royal Air Force could be sent home. In this letter, F/Sgt LESLIE (although he was unaware of his promotion at this time) wrote about being posted from No. 405 Squadron, where he had made good friends and felt he was serving with a good crew. He gives the reason as No. 405 Squadron was being made all-Canadian, so the Australian and English were being posted away. He knew that his new squadron was equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bombers, which he describes as ‘big, ugly brutes’. LESLIE confides to his family that he wished to be back in Australia to fight the Japs. He was pleased that his new squadron was based about twelve miles one side of York while his old squadron is twelve miles from York in the other direction, so he could meet up with former colleagues in York itself. There were only four or five Australians serving with No. 58 Squadron, but LESLIE was hoping to become the navigator for an Australian pilot (LAWER) who was in need of an Air Observer for his crew. It was in this letter that LESLIE enclosed the photograph of him in battle dress and flying boots. He observed that he was the only student from No. 4 Course at R.A.A.F. Parkes with the Squadron, as his friend from that course who served with him at No. 405 Squadron had been posted elsewhere. LESLIE mentioned about the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau incident and they had led the last flight out, and at least they had found one of the warships, which was more than other flights had achieved. They had seen the warship right below them in a break in the clouds, so it was too late to release the bombs. The warships had sent up a tremendous amount of anti-aircraft fire, but then the hole in the clouds closed, and the firing stopped. They circled the area, and came down to 1,500 feet above sea level, but could not locate the German warships again. The weather was awful, which is, of course, one of the reasons that the Germans chose this opportunity to make their ‘dash’ up the English Channel.

When he was posted to No. 58 Squadron, it was based at R.A.F. Linton-on-Ouse, as part of Bomber Command, but it was equipped with Whitleys, whereas his Operational Training Unit and No. 405 Squadron flew Wellingtons. His first flight with the Squadron was on 26 February, when F/Sgt LESLIE was flown by P/O WILSON from their base at Linton-on-Ouse to Filey Bay and back. This was probably a familiarisation flight and a chance for LESLIE to demonstrate his navigational skills to his new squadron. On 28 February, LESLIE flew with Sgt PARSONS in Whitley K/58 on a sea search of four hours duration.

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In March, LESLIE flew on five occasions with a Sgt LAWER, three of which were non-operational sorties. On 23 March, Sgt LAWER and his crew had a three-hour, fifty-minute flight on a searchlight co-operation exercise. Overnight 25/26 March, three aircraft were dispatched to Paris and nine were detailed to attack St. Nazaire. Sgt LAWER and F/Sgt LESLIE were in one of the aircraft that flew to Paris on a nickel raid, the purpose of which was to drop leaflets over the French capital. All three aircraft returned safely from Paris, and all nine returned safely from St. Nazaire.

The next letter LESLIE wrote is dated 27 March 1942. In it he refers to the ‘Nickel’ raid to Paris and reported that the opposition was light. He refers to his aircraft weaving ‘all over the place’ and that some of the air crew were ‘as sick as dogs’. The port undercarriage kept dropping down and LESLIE had to go forward to hold the lever up to prevent the undercarriage coming down again. He admitted that due to an error on his part, the aircraft nearly came to grief in the Southampton Barrage Balloons on the way out to Paris. LESLIE asked his parents if they had seen the recently released film ‘Target for Tonight’, which he described as ‘quite good’. He reported that he had travelled down to Bournemouth on leave for a short break. LESLIE said that he was happy flying with an Australian called Joe LAWER, who he rated as an excellent pilot, and that his roommate was another red headed lad who came from New Zealand, and had also transferred from No. 405 Squadron. He referred to a visit the King and Queen had made to their Squadron, which was very well received.

For his next operation, ‘Mac’ LESLIE flew with the air crew of Sgt DAVIES on a ‘nickel’ operation to Lille, France. This took place on 29 March 1942 and involved dropping leaflets to the civilian population and occupying forces in France. The air crew were:

1384224 Sgt Sidney Edward DAVIES, R.A.F.V.R. Pilot & Captain A/400240 F/Sgt Kenneth McKenzie LESLIE, R.A.A.F. Observer 1101057 Sgt Stanley BRIMER, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG 1354019 Sgt John Dunbar RICE, R.A.F.V.R. WOp/AG R/77122 Sgt Alexander Seaton LORIMER, R.C.A.F. AG

They were flying in Whitley, serial number BD.210, and took off at 18.54 hours. They returned to base at R.A.F. Linton-on-Ouse at 23.17 hours, and the aircraft was found to have a hole that caused a minor oil leak, and a further hole in the spar. These were believed to have been caused by accurate anti-aircraft fire over France. None of the air crew were injured, and the aircraft was soon repaired.

None of the five air crew was destined to survive the Second World War. Twenty-year-old 1384224 Sgt Sidney Edward DAVIES died on 6 June 1942, while serving with No. 35 Squadron. He was the son of Arthur Henderson and Mary Ellen DAVIES of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is commemorated on Panel 81 of the Runnymede Memorial.

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Twenty-three-year-old 1101057 Sgt Stanley BRIMER died on 12 June 1942, while serving with No. 58 Squadron. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. BRIMER of South Shields, County Durham, and is buried in Plot 1, Row B, Collective Grave 2 – 6 of the Bilbao British Cemetery. He died when Whitley, serial number BD.210, crashed into cliffs in Galicia, northern Spain. Another member of the six air crew on board that Whitley was thirty-three-year-old R/77122 F/Sgt Alexander Seaton LORIMER, R.C.A.F.. He was the son of Alexander Grant and Helen Seaton LORIMER of Dalguise, Perthshire, and is buried in Plot 1, Row B, Grave 7 of the Bilbao British Cemetery. 1354019 Sgt John Dunbar RICE survived until 14 November 1944, when aged twenty-five years, and now a Warrant Officer, he was serving with No. 517 Squadron. He was a son of James and Margaret RICE of Glasgow, and is buried in Section D, Grave 1004 of the Riddrie Park Cemetery, Glasgow.

On 8 April 1942, No. 58 Squadron was transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command due to the high rate of losses that the German and Italian submarines (U-boats) were inflicting on British and Allied merchant shipping. As Coastal Command did not have sufficient aircrew and aircraft suitable to patrol the Bay of Biscay and Western Approaches at this time, Bomber Command was ordered to release some Whitley squadrons to Coastal Command. No. 51 and 77 Squadrons were posted to R.A.F. Chivenor in North Devon, and No. 58 Squadron was posted to R.A.F. St. Eval in Cornwall. In addition, No. 10 Operational Training Unit sent Whitley aircraft on detachment to R.A.F. St. Eval for maritime patrol duties.

F/Sgt LESLIE appears to have been unhappy with his transfer, as he wrote a letter dated 14 April 1942, to the Liaison Officer at the Headquarters, R.A.A.F., in London. LESLIE explains that he had served with No. 405 Squadron for four months and completed five operations with the Squadron, and that he was being posted to make room for a Canadian Navigator. Two days before he wrote this letter to the R.A.A.F. Headquarters, Mac LESLIE wrote home again. He spoke of his anger and that of his colleagues as his squadron was being transferred to Coastal Command, or as he put it, ‘We were all mad as hell about it’. LESLIE went to see his Commanding Officer to ask to stay with Bomber Command, and he said it was likely that he would be posted to an Aussie squadron, however, a couple of days before the Squadron moved, he was told that he was coming too. He was not pleased with going out for miles and miles over the sea looking for U-boats, and although he considered it safe enough, he was concerned that he would die of boredom. He remarked how different the county of Cornwall was to Yorkshire, and that they were billeted out in hotels commandeered for the purpose, about twelve miles away from the base. He described Cornwall as very hilly, with just grass and walls instead of hedges dividing the fields. He found Cornwall harsh compared with Warwickshire in Spring.

In his letter of 12 April, he refers to the tragic loss of two members of the Squadron ‘an hour or so ago’. He recounted how a couple of our chaps climbed down the cliffs (and stated that the coastline is all high cliffs) and out onto a rock at the bottom. Then the swell swept them off and against the cliff and that was the last seen of them. LESLIE stated: ‘Its lousy luck to get safely through ops and then go that way. Nice chaps too. He was clearly referring to the deaths of Sgt Robert S. FLEMING, R.C.A.F. and Sgt Bert John LANGLEY, R.A.F.V.R., at Porth Head on that Sunday.

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Mac realised that Coastal Command was carrying out work of vital importance, but as he was trained at a Wellington equipped O.T.U., for Bomber Command, he asked for a transfer back to Bomber Command, and No. 460 Squadron, R.A.A.F. in particular. A minute to the A.O.C., R.A.A.F. Overseas, explains that Coastal Command were not in a position to release F/Sgt LESLIE, and that other airmen had stronger cases than him. A reply was sent, dated 23 April 1942, addressed to F/Sgt LESLIE (see below) stating:

With reference to my letter dated 20th April, 1942, you are advised that it is not possible to grant your request for posting at present.

On 4 May, Mac wrote again and mentioned his despair on leaving Bomber Command and the bombing offensive. He was aware that his compatriots from No. 405 Squadron had either completed their first tour or had ‘gone west’ as he described it. He said that flying with Coastal Command was a lousy job, seven and half to nine and half hours over the sea, and that although some other members of the Squadron had sighted and attacked U-boats, all he had seen were Spanish and French trawlers, and one whale. They had thought that the whale may have been a U- boat and dived from 5,000 feet to attack it, but then it dived, and they let it go. Mac said how he was looking forward to some leave in London. He had to cut the letter short as he was part of the Strike Crew, which was a crew that stood ready for an immediate take-off in the event of a U-boat being seen on the surface by another aircraft, and then went out to finish it off. The Strike Crew were also on stand-by to escort an aircraft in distress, which was the case in this instance. The Whitley they were escorting landed safely. He now acknowledged that he was finding his job very interesting, and that maritime navigation was necessarily very different from Bomber Command. They operated in daylight and are out of sight of land all the time, except when they came near the Spanish coast. Mac LESLIE recognised that everything depended on the skill and ability of the navigator, for if they flew too far east, they would fly over enemy held Brest, and too far west, and they would be over neutral Ireland.

The next day, Mac wrote another letter where he complained that the monotony of life was likely to kill him. He acknowledged that he was more likely to survive with Coastal Command, but he viewed himself as a happy warrior in Bomber Command. He said how No. 58 Squadron was one of the oldest bomber squadrons in the R.A.F., and it was certainly the oldest Whitley squadron. He questioned why the best squadron, in the best Group in Bomber Command, was chosen to transfer to Coastal Command. He reinforced issues he stated in his previous letter about the role of a navigator and the demands placed on him as they were out of sight of land for most of their sortie. Although he was missing the big blitzes over Germany, he could understand how his current job was really important.

LESLIE wrote again on 9 July 1942, and he conveyed the important news of their attack on a U-boat.

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As he describes:

Well, it was this way – …the other day my crew got its first U-boat – wacko! We picked it up right down the Bay about five miles off our course and fully surfaced – dived down from 3,000 feet to water level and dropped out load on it three seconds after it had submerged – that’s about 50 yards ahead of the swirl left when it crash dived.

The depth charge explosions went up to about 75 feet and instead of being nice and white as usually, they were streaked beautifully with black oil spread over the water and I worked out our position and so on to send back to base while we circled, then 5 or 6 minutes later about 15 feet of the bows slowly appears above the waves at an angle of 60o – 70o, hung there a minute, gave a convulsive jerk up then slowly slid down backwards. Looked lovely…

They circled the scene expecting the U-boat to re-appear, but it did not. They took photographs of the surfaced U-boat and the explosions, but they were unable to take any as it surfaced and then slid beneath the waves a few minutes later. Two days later, they sighted a dinghy and it was the responsibility of LESLIE to determine their correct position to radio base. That morning, they did not get to bed until 03.30 hours, having landed at 11.30 hours. They were pleased to learn that a launch had been sent out, and, using the position of the dinghy given to them by LESLIE, the launch located the dinghy and rescued the six men successfully. LESLIE was congratulated over his navigation by the Commanding Officer of the Squadron.

On 18 July 1942, LESLIE wrote to the Headquarters, R.A.A.F. Overseas querying his promotion to the rank of Flight Sergeant. His letter is headed Sgt LESLIE, suggesting that some seven months after the official date of his promotion, Sgt LESLIE and No. 58 Squadron were unaware of his correct rank. A reply was sent on 23 July 1942, stating that the matter was being investigated, but it appears to have been resolved only just prior to his death. F/Sgt LESLIE was declared ‘Missing’ with effect from 17 August 1942, but he was not presumed dead by the Australian Air Ministry until 19 March 1946.

His last letter to his family was written on 15 August 1942, i.e., just two days before his death. LESLIE explained that he had been operating from Caithness in Scotland so had not had the opportunity to write. He confirmed that his promotion had been notified to him, ten months late. He felt that being in an English squadron slowed down the information flow from R.A.A.F. Headquarters. He found that there was very little darkness in Scotland at this time of year. LESLIE now felt that No. 58 Squadron was a ‘good squadron’, but he still was not reconciled with his current posting. He noted how Bomber Command usually operated at night, and Fighter Command in the day, but Coastal Command operated 24 hours a day, fair weather or foul. Killing U-boats does mean a lot in this war. LESLIE had just purchased a new uniform as his previous one was badly faded – perhaps this was an omen. He signed off his last letter – ‘Love to all of you – Mac’.

Mac’s younger brother Ian also joined the R.A.A.F. and became a pilot. He received notification that his brother was missing on the day he commenced his flying training in Saskatoon, Canada.

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Nevertheless, Ian completed his training successfully, and he went on to fly Liberator bombers with No. 354 Squadron based at R.A.F. Cuttack in Orissa, India. He survived the war and returned to Australia where he raised a family to continue the LESLIE name.

R/82378 Flight Sergeant Joseph Roger Rolland METIVIER, R.C.A.F.

Joseph Roger Rolland METIVIER (who was known as Rolland) was born in Ottawa, Canada on 9 June 1922. His father, Paul Antonio METIVIER and mother Flore METIVIER, were the same age as each other. Rolland was the eldest child, with Jeanne who was aged eighteen years in 1942, Jean-Paul who was thirteen, Pierre who was three, and Monique who was one year-old. The family lived at 11 Fourth Avenue, Westboro, Ottawa, but moved to 337 Chapel Street, which is where Rolland lived until he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. His family were Roman Catholics. Paul METIVIER was a civil servant in Ottawa, and both he and his wife were Canadian citizens. Rolland attended the Joan of Arc School in Westboro, between 1928 and 1936, and then spent four years at High School. Rolland METIVIER served with the 3rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers from 15 August 1940, until transferring to the R.C.A.F. on 27 December 1940. He attended Course Number 16, at No. 1 Wireless School, Montreal, from 28 April 1941 until 14 September 1941, being promoted to Leading Aircraftman on 29 May 1941.

He passed on to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, R.C.A.F. Fingal, Ontario, where he trained from 15 September 1941 until 13 October 1941. He scored three-hundred and eighteen marks out of a total of four-hundred and fifty for his air firing, which placed him twenty-fourth in a class of thirty- two. He was described as: ‘Fair material as Air Gunner’, and was awarded his Air Gunners badge and promoted to the rank of Temporary Sergeant on 13 October 1941. Overall, he was placed twelfth out of thirty-two students, and was rated ‘Average’. He had flown for twelve hours, thirty- five minutes at No. 1 Wireless School, and a further ten hours, ten minutes at No. 4 B. & G.S. at R.C.A.F. Fingal.

Sgt METIVIER embarked at Halifax on 3 November 1941, and arrived in the U.K. on 14 November, being posted to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth. He was posted to No. 1 Signals School at R.A.F. Cranwell on 9 December 1941, moving to No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit at the same location on 3 February 1942. He spent six days in R.A.F. Hospital, Rauceby, from 3 until 9 April 1942. Sgt METIVIER was posted to No. 612 Squadron with effect from 22 April 1942, when it was serving in Reykjavik in Iceland. On 14 June 1942, Sgt METIVIER was posted to No. 58 Squadron at R.A.F. St. Eval.

Sgt METIVIER was posted ‘Missing’ on 17 August 1942, which appears to have been his first operational sortie with the Squadron, and certainly the first with this air crew. On 7 May 1943, he was now ‘Presumed Dead’ for official purposes. On 29 July 1947, the Air Ministry reviewed the case, and stated that as nothing further had been heard from any of the five missing men, and that the body of one of the crew was recovered and buried, it was assumed the remainder had lost their lives at sea.

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Posthumously, he was awarded the 1939 – 45 Star, the Atlantic Star, the War Medal, and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal. A Memorial Cross was delivered to Mrs METIVIER on 13 July 1943. On 2 November 1944, Mr METIVIER received a letter from the Canadian Air Ministry stating that Joseph Roger Rolland METIVIER had been promoted to the rank of Flight Sergeant with effect from 13 April 1942. The letter stated that the promotion was made retrospective in order to extend the same recognition to those who had lost their lives, as opposed to those who were still living when their promotion was announced.

1166486 Sergeant Albert MARSHALL, R.A.F.V.R.

Sgt Albert MARSHALL was the son of George Francis and Ellen Matilda MARSHALL, of Wandsworth, London. His father lived at 25, Open View, Wandsworth, London SW 15. His service number indicates that he enlisted at R.A.F. Cardington in Bedfordshire sometime after April 1940. His two brothers, Robert and Frank, also volunteered to join the Royal Air Force, and both survived the Second World War.

1056596 Sergeant Edward Robert PHILLIPSON, R.A.F.V.R.

Edward Robert PHILLIPSON was born in the Grimsby District of Lincolnshire in September 1920. He was the second son of George M. PHILLIPSON, and his wife Norah. He enlisted at R.A.F. Padgate after the commencement of the Second World War. His father lived at 85, Queen’s Parade, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire. The body of Sgt PHILLIPSON was recovered one week after the aircraft was lost, by a Spanish fishing vessel, the ‘Jesus of Nazareth’, which landed the body at Cedeira in Spain. Sgt PHILLIPSON was buried in the Bilbao British Cemetery in Spain. The report from the Guardia Civil who examined the body as translated reads:

He had been dead about twenty-four hours, and presented several gunshot wounds in the right leg and left eyebrow. He wore a lifejacket, and carried a Royal Air Force identity card bearing the name of PHILLIPSON, Robert Edward. The identity card carried his photograph, which matched that of the deceased person. Sewn into his uniform was a sealed waterproof bag, with a note saying in English ‘If found, hand in to the first police station’. The bag contained 300 Spanish pesetas, 700 French francs, and 2,000 Italian lire.

Conclusions

The loss of Whitley Z.9517 was of little significance to the overall conduct of the Second World War, yet it is one of the many individual pieces of the jigsaw that are needed to form the whole picture. For the families concerned, the loss of their sons, brothers, and friends were real, and difficult to bear. They sought information about the circumstances of the disappearance of their loved ones, as anyone would today, but they faced a situation where in many cases, there simply were not the answers available.

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It transpires that Whitley Z.9517 was shot down in combat with a FW 200 F8 +IT ‘Condor’, of 9 Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 40 (KG/40). This aircraft was flown by Oberleutnant Georg ULRICI, and usually had an air crew of seven (including the pilot).9 The FW 200 was armed with two 20 mm cannon (one in a turret, and the other firing forward), and three 7.92 mm machine guns. A running battle ensued off the coast of Galicia, northern Spain, during which the Condor was hit thirty-seven times, and the radio operator Utteroffizier Alfons KEIFER was killed.10 Eventually, the Whitley was shot down into the sea.

The fact that the body of Sgt PHILLIPSON, who is believed to have been the Rear Gunner, bore wounds inflicted by enemy fire indicates that the Whitley was hit repeatedly before it crashed. It also implies that both air crews fought determinedly and bravely until the end.

Five of the air crew of Whitley Z.9517 have no known grave, and so are commemorated on the panels of the Air Forces’ Memorial at Cooper’s Hill, Runnymede, Surrey. They are just five names of the over twenty-thousand men and women whose names are inscribed on the panels there. We will never know the full details of that final combat, but we can say with some certainly that both the British and German air crew fought valiantly. Sadly, it is likely that the superior firepower of the German aircraft decided the outcome.

9 http://galiciaenlasgm.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/whitley-z9517-1781942.html 10 GOSS, Chris, FW 200 Condor Units of World War 2 (Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2016) p.43 states that the encounter took place off Cape St. Vincent in southern Portugal. This is not consistent with the location where the body of Sgt PHILLIPSON was recovered from the sea. It is more probable that the air battle took place in the Bay of Biscay, off the coast of Galicia, which is where the Whitley was likely to have been flying, not southern Portugal.

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In Memoriam

17 August 1942 – Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. VII – Z.9517

Date of Service No. Surname Forenames(s) Age Rank Role Service Place of Burial Grave Death Number

Pilot Pilot & Runnymede 1. CLUGSTON11 Kenneth William 2312 17/08/42 R.A.F. 46639 Panel 68. Officer Captain Memorial

Peter John Pilot Runnymede 2. SAVAGE 22 17/08/42 Pilot R.C.A.F. J/10288 Panel 101. Christie Officer Memorial

Kenneth Flight Runnymede 3. LESLIE13 23 17/08/42 Observer R.A.A.F. A/400240 Panel 111. McKenzie Sergeant Memorial

Joseph Roger Flight Runnymede 4. METIVIER 20 17/08/42 WOp/AG R.C.A.F. R/82378 Panel 105. Rolland Sergeant Memorial

Runnymede 5. MARSHALL14 Albert 20 17/08/42 Sergeant WOp/AG R.A.F.V.R. 1166484 Panel 89. Memorial

Bilbao British Plot 2. Row B. Grave 6. PHILLIPSON15 Edward Robert 22 17/08/42 Sergeant WOp/AG R.A.F.V.R. 1056596 Cemetery 3.

11 Son of William and Grace Annie CLUGSTON, of Walmer, Kent. 12 The C.W.G.C. website gives an age of 33 years, which is incorrect. 13 Son of Ewen Cameron and Marjorie Isobel LESLIE, of East Malvern, Victoria, Australia. 14 Son of George Francis and Ellen Matilda MARSHALL, of Wandsworth, London. 15 Son of George and Norah PHILLPSON, of Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

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Map of the Bay of Biscay R.A.F. St. Eval

Approximate Crash Site

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Left – ‘B’ Flight of No. 58 Squadron,

taken at R.A.F. St. Eval before the loss of P/O CLUGSTON and his air crew. Courtesy of: The Savage family

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Above – Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. VII, Z.6633, of No. 612 Squadron in Coastal Command markings and with the early Air to Surface Vessel (A.S.V.) radar installation on the fuselage (sideways searching) and both wings (forward homing). Author’s Collection

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Above and Right – The FW 200 Condor long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Author’s Collection

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Left – P/O Kenneth William CLUGSTON.

Right – P/O CLUGSTON with another crew (left), probably when he was serving as second pilot before gaining his own air crew. Courtesy of: Mark HARDING (Relation)

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Above – The war memorial in Ash, which contains the name of P/O CLUGSTON. Courtesy of: Mark HARDING Above Centre –The Second Pilot, P/O Peter John Christie SAVAGE. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2940919 Right – A photograph of P/O SAVAGE in the Montreal Gazette of 26 September 1942. Courtesy of: The Montreal Gazette

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Right – Sgt Kenneth McKenzie LESLIE with his brothers Bruce and Ian. Sadly, this is probably the last time they all saw each other as ‘Mac’ was just about to leave Australia. Below – A family photograph taken in 1941, with ‘Mac’ proudly displaying his Sergeant’s stripes and Air Observer’s Brevet. Courtesy of: the LESLIE Family.

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Left – F/Sgt LESLIE in his battledress and flying boots. Below – Flight Sergeant ‘Mac’ LESLIE’s service medals, from L to R – 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, The Defence Medal, the 1939 – 45 War Medal, and the Australia Service Medal. Courtesy of: the LESLIE family

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Left – The METIVIER family, with Rolland standing at the back on the left of the picture. Centre – Rolland METIVIER wearing his Wireless Operator/Air Gunner’s Brevet Right – Rolland METIVIER in his flying suit.

Courtesy of: The METIVIER family

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Left – Sergeant Albert MARSHALL (centre) with his two brothers Robert (left) and Frank (right), both of whom survived the Second World War after serving with Coastal Command and Bomber Command respectively.

Courtesy of: The MARSHALL family.

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Left – A photograph of Sgt PHILLIPSON (seated left on wall). Courtesy of: Chris GOSS The grave of Sgt PHILLIPSON in Bilbao British Cemetery Courtesy of: galiciaenlasgm.blogspot.co.uk

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Appendix ‘A’ – Flying Log Book of A/400240 Kenneth McKenzie LESLIE

Glossary

A.S.R. Air Sea Rescue. A.U. Anti U-boat Patrol. D.C.O. Duty Carried Out. D.N.C.O. Duty Not Carried out. F/L Flight Lieutenant. F/O Flying Officer F/Sgt Flight Sergeant. L.L. Low Level. P/O Pilot Officer R.T.B. Return to Base. S.E. Special Equipment, the name by which the Air to Surface Vessel (A.S.V.) radar was known in the R.A.F. during the Second World War. Sgt Sergeant. W/O Warrant Officer (Class 1 only in the R.A.F., Class 1 or 2 in the R.C.A.F. and R.A.A.F.). W/T Wireless Telegraphy.

N.B. – Operational sorties are highlighted in Yellow.

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

No. 1 Air Observers’ School, R.A.A.F. Cootamundra, New South Wales

01/10/40 10.45 Anson N.4920 F/O METZLER Air Experience 0.45 03/10/40 08.50 Anson A4-18 P/O TALBERG Ex 1 – Finding w/v by 2 fix method 1.50 04/10/40 13.15 Anson R.3347 P/O MEYER Ex 2 – Finding w/v by 3 course method 1.30 07/10/40 10.35 Anson R.3529 P/O DUFFIELD Ex 2 – Coota – Marsden – Coota 1.40 10/10/40 10.45 Anson A4-18 F/L PETERS Ex 4A – Coota – Bullenbung – Coota 2.15 16/01/40 09.15 Rapide A33-3 P/O TALBERG Ex 4B – Coota – Grenfell – Coota 2.20 19/10/40 14.10 Anson A4-5 F/L SMIBERT Ex 5A – Coota – Daysdake – Coota 3.20 21/10/40 09.45 Rapide A33-3 P/O TALBERG Ex 1 – Photo Stereo Pairs 0.45 22/10/40 14.40 Anson R33-34 P/O MEYER EX 5B – Coota – Cullivel – Coota 3.10 24/10/40 08.50 Rapide A33-6 P/O FENTON Ex 6 – D/R Plot 1.50 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Anson TOTAL 14.30 Non-Operational Hours Rapide TOTAL 4.55

No. 1 Air Observers’ School, R.A.A.F. Cootamundra, New South Wales

05/11/40 08.45 Rapide A33-6 P/O DUFFIELD Ex 8A – Radius of Action 2.15 06/11/40 15.45 Rapide A33-2 F/O MORGAN Ex 2 Photo Runline 0.35 14/11/40 08.40 Anson A4-25 P/O FLETCHER Ex 7 Coota – Darlington – Narromine 3.00 14/11/40 13.15 Anson A4-35 P/O FLETCHER Narromine – Gilgunnia – Coota 3.15 15/11/40 08.40 Anson N.1335 P/O FLETCHER Ex 8B – Radius of Action 2.20 26/11/40 16.00 Anson R.3539 F/O METZLER Ex 3 – Photo Obliques 0.30 26/11/40 18.15 Anson R.3543 Cadet CRISP Ex 9 – Coota – Marsden – Coota 1.45 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Anson TOTAL 9.05 1.45 Non-Operational Hours Rapide TOTAL 2.50

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

No. 1 Air Observers’ School, R.A.A.F. Cootamundra, New South Wales

05/12/40 18.45 Anson N.4920 P/O CLARKE Ex 10A – Coota – GrongGrong - Coota 2.10 10/12/40 19/05 Anson R.3337 F/O REID Ex 10B – Coota – GrongGrong – Coota 2.05 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Anson TOTAL - 4.15 Non-Operational Hours Rapide TOTAL -

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, R.A.A.F. Evans Head, New South Wales

20/12/40 06.45 Battle L.5471 P/O STRATTON 1.30 24/12/40 06.30 Battle R.3924 P/O HART H.B. 3 at,6000 1.00 28/12/40 06.15 Battle R.3939 P/O NEILSON H.B.3 Group at 10,000 1.30 28/12/40 12.25 Battle R.3939 B/O BOTT H.B. 3 Group 1.40 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Battle TOTAL 5.40

No. 1 Bombing & Gunnery School, R.A.A.F. Evans Head, New South Wales

01/01/41 10.55 Battle R.3924 P/O STRATTON L.L.B. 800 0.35 05/01/41 11.40 Battle K.9324 P/O BROWN L.L.B. 1,200 0.40 09/01/41 12.20 Battle L.5152 P/O LINDEMAN H.B. 3 6,000 1.30 12/01/41 09.20 Battle R.3934 P/O GULLIVER H.B. 4 6,000 1.35 12/01/41 14.10 Battle R.3924 P/O LINDEMAN H.B. 4 10,000 1.50 13/01/41 06.25 Battle L.5152 P/O LINDEMAN H.B. 4 10,000 1.40 13/01/41 10.30 Battle L.5152 P/O NEILSON H.B. 4 10,000 1.45 13/01/41 14.25 Battle L.5471 P/O BRADBURY H.B. 4 10,000 1.35 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Battle TOTAL 11.10

40 13 July 2020 [THE LAST FLIGHT OF WHITLEY Z.9517]

Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

No. 4 Air Observers’ Advanced Navigation Course, R.A.A.F. Evans Head, New South Wales

18/02/41 09.40 Anson N4946 P/O OATES Ex 1 – Parkes – Ariah Park – Parkes 2.05 21/01/41 08.05 Anson R.4885 F/O BINDLEY Ex 2 – Parkes – Ivanhoe – Parkes 4.05 26/02/41 08.45 Anson R.9888 P/O OSBORNE Ex 3 – Parkes – Berrigan – Parkes 4.05 26/02/41 21.20 Anson W.1587 P/O OSBORNE Ex 4 – Parkes – Young – Parkes 1.50 28/02/41 08.00 Anson R.9885 P/O OATES Ex 5 – Parkes – Albury – Parkes 4.00 28/02/41 19.00 Anson R.9885 P/O JENKINS Ex 6 – Parkes – Albury – Parkes 3.45 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Anson TOTAL 14.15 05.35

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

No. 22 Operational Training Unit, R.A.F. Wellesbourne- ‘C’ Flight

08/09/41 11.00 Wellington R.1654 F/L CRIBS Pinpointing (Incomplete) 0.05 10/09/41 09.25 Anson N.5081 F/L CRIBS Pinpointing 2.15 11/09/41 15.05 Anson N.5081 Sgt BIGGLESTON Ex 11 Base – Irish Sea – Base 2.00 11/09/41 23.05 Wellington R.1034 Sgt BIGGLESTON Base – Andover – Reading – P’borough 4.15 15/09/41 09.50 Anson N.5033 Sgt YOUNGMAN Base – Andover – Wittering – Base 2.35 16/09/41 14.55 Wellington 1654 F/O HOOKWAY Base – P.Pt – Irish Sea – Base 2.00 18/09/41 14.55 Anson N.5033 F/L BARCLAY Base – Bardsey Is – Fishguard – Base 3.00 28/09/41 18.45 Wellington 1654 Sgt YOUNGMAN Base – Abingdon – Boscombe Down Exeter – Hartland Pt. – Salisbury – Bicester – Base 4.15 29/09/41 19.20 Wellington 1654 Sgt RICHARDS Engine Trouble 0.10 29/09/41 20.00 Wellington 1654 Sgt RICHARDS Engine Trouble 0.25 30/09/41 18.50 Wellington 9239 F/O KEELING Base – Andover – Sleaford – Dishforth – Peterborough – Andover – Base 5.00 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours Anson TOTAL 11.55 14.05

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

No. 22 Operational Training Unit, R.A.F. Wellesbourne – ‘C’ Flight until 11 October, then ‘D’ Flight)

01/10/41 14.30 Wellington 9946 Sgt SELLS Base – Hemswell - Return 2.25 01/10/41 18.30 Wellington 9239 F/O KEELING Base – Andover – Abingdon – Base – Pershore – Base 2.00 03/10/41 15.35 Wellington 9935 Sgt YOUNGMAN Base – Bardsey Is – Fishguard – Droitwich – Base 3.00 10/10/41 10.25 Wellington 9935 F/L CRIBB Base – Tusker Rock – Ronaldsway – Aberdovey – Base 4.15 13/10/41 Wellington 1659 F/L HILYARD Base – Target – Worcester – Base 2.00 14/10/41 Wellington 1659 F/L HILYARD Base – Reading – Andover – Peterborough – Hemswell – Cambridge – Upper Heyford – Base 4.45 15/10/41 Wellington 1727 Sgt FIELD/Sgt FERRIER Bombing – Priors Hardwick 1.30 16/10/41 Wellington 1727 F/L HILYARD Base – Reading – Boscombe – Peterborough – Abingdon – Target – Base 4.00 17/10/41 Wellington 1727 Sgt FIELD/Sgt FERRIER Bombing Priors Hardwick 1.55 20/10/41 Wellington 9929 Sgt FIELD/Sgt FERRIER Bombing and Photo 2.00 20/10/41 Wellington 1034 Sgt FIELD/Sgt FERRIER Base – Reading – Andover – Base 1.45 22/10/41 Wellington 1727 F/L HILYARD Air Firing 1.45 22/10/41 Wellington 2766 F/L HILYARD Base – Spalding – Mabelthorpe – Filey Bay – Linton – Howden – Base 4.40 23/10/41 Wellington 2766 Sgt FIELD/Sgt FERRIER Base – Alton – Hartland Pt., – Dorchester – S. Cerney – Wisbeach – Howden – Desborough – Base 4.45 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours TOTAL 18.35 10.30 Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

‘B’ Flight, 405 Squadron, R.C.A.F., R.A.F. Pocklington

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December 1941

24/12/41 10.10 Wellington ‘F’ Sgt WEFURGEY N.F.T. 0.50 31/12/41 Wellington ‘V’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.40 Operational Hours TOTAL - Non-Operational Hours TOTAL 1.30

January 1942

04/01/42 Wellington ‘V’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.30 06/01/42 Wellington ‘W’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.45 06/01/42 Wellington ‘W’ P/O THIELE Operations – Cherbourg CRASH Holme 4.55 08/01/42 Wellington ‘Q’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.30 10/01/42 Wellington ‘L’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.30 15/01/42 Wellington ‘P’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.40 15/01/42 Wellington ‘P’ P/O THIELE Operations – Emden. Landed Dalton fog 5.35 16/01/42 Wellington ‘P’ P/O THIELE Dalton to Base 0.30 17/01/42 Wellington ‘T’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.20 17/01/42 Wellington ‘T’ P/O THIELE Operations Bremen Blitz 4.55 31/01/42 Wellington ‘R’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.30 31/01/42 Wellington ‘N’ P/O THIELE Operations Brest B.F.X. Mildenhall 6.40 Operational Hours TOTAL 22.05 Non-Operational Hours TOTAL 4.15

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

February 1942

02/02/42 10.10 Wellington ‘N’ P/O THIELE Mildenhall - Base 0.50 09/02/42 Wellington ‘V P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.50 10/02/42 Wellington ‘V’ P/O THIELE N.F.T. 0.30 12/02/42 Wellington ‘N’ P/O THIELE Operations – Interception of Scharnhorst and Gneisenau & Prinz Eugen S or G located Bomb Low Cloud 4.10 Operational Hours TOTAL 4.10 Non-Operational Hours TOTAL 2.10

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

‘A’ Flight, 58 Squadron, R.A.F., R.A.F. Linton-on-Ouse

February 1942

26/02/42 Whitley ‘E’ P/O WILSON Base – Filey Bay 1.25 28/02/42 Whitley ‘K’ Sgt PARSONS Sea Search 4.00 Operational Hours TOTAL 5.25 Non-Operational Hours TOTAL

March 1942

08/03/42 Whitley ‘K’ Sgt LAWER N.F.T. 1.05 22/03/42 Whitley ‘G’ Sgt LAWER N.F.T. 0.45 23/03/42 Whitley ‘D’ Sgt LAWER Searchlight Co-op 3.50 26/03/42 Whitley ‘F’ Sgt LAWER N.F.T. 0.45 26/03/42 Whitley ‘F’ Sgt LAWER Operations Paris Nickels 6.20 29/03/42 Whitley ‘J’ Sgt DAVIES N.F.T. 0.45 29/03/42 Whitley ‘J’ Sgt DAVIES Operations Lille Nickels 4.35 Operational Hours TOTAL 11.30 Non-Operational Hours TOTAL 3.20

April 1942

8 April 1942 Whitley ‘Z’ S/L HARVEY Linton – Northampton – Newbury – St. Eval 2.45

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

‘A’ Flight, 58 Squadron, R.A.F., R.A.F. St. Eval

April 1942

16/04/42 Whitley ‘W’ F/Sgt STARK A/S Sweep 3.25 17/04/42 Whitley ‘Z’ Sgt YOUNG A/S Sweep 2.55 18/04/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 3.15 20/04/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 5.40 21/04/42 Whitley ‘Z’ W/C HARVEY Sea Search 4.15 22/04/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Practice Bombing 0.45 23/04/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Practice Bombing 0.35 28/04/42 Whitley ‘S’ P/O CLUGSTON Escort Cable Repair Ship 7.20 29/04/42 Whitley ‘Z’ W/C HARVEY A/S Sweep Bay of Biscay 8.55 Operational Hours TOTAL 40.50

May 1942

01/05/42 Whitley ‘R’ P/O CLUGSTON Practice Bombing 0.40 03/05/42 Whitley ‘Z’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 7.10 24/05/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 7.45 26/05/42 Whitley ‘C’ P/O CLUGSTON Air Test 0.40 28/02/42 Whitley ‘R’ P/O CLUGSTON Convoy Escort 8.15 31/05/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 7.40 Operational Hours TOTAL 31.10

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Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

June 1942

04/06/42 Whitley ‘P’ P/O CLUGSTON Homing a/c in Distress 1.00 07/06/42 Whitley ‘Z’ P/O CLUGSTON Air Test 0.55 09/06/42 Whitley ‘R’ P/O CLUGSTON Practice Bombing 0.30 10/06/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 8.00 27/06/42 Whitley ‘S’ P/O CLUGSTON Bombing Moving Target 1.05 30/06/42 Whitley ‘R’ P/O CLUGSTON Air Test 1.15

July 1942

05/07/42 Whitley ‘T’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep U-boat attacked & destroyed. 6.10 07/07/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 6 men on dinghy located 8.35 11/07/42 Whitley ‘S’ F/L EARP Bombing Moving Target 1.00 11/07/42 Whitley ‘S’ S/L GOLDIE Bombing Moving Target 0.55 12/07/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 8.20 23/07/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Base – Portreath – Fighter Co-operation 0.20 23/07/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Portreath – Base 0.20 25/07/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Bombing Moving Target 1.20 28/07/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Base – St. David’s Head – Calf of Man – Mull of Galloway – Oban – Inverness – Dornock – Skitten 4.15

48 13 July 2020 [THE LAST FLIGHT OF WHITLEY Z.9517]

Date Time Aircraft Pilot Purpose of Flight Duration Day Night

August 1942

01/08/42 Whitley ‘Q’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Escort Mine Laying Convoy Landed Leuchars 10.30 02/08/42 Whitley ‘Q’ P/O CLUGSTON Leuchars – Skitten 1.30 03/08/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Skitten – Wick 0.10 06/08/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 10.00 10/08/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep 6.25 11/08/42 Whitley ‘V’ P/O CLUGSTON Wick to St. Eval 5.20 17/08/42 Whitley ‘U’ P/O CLUGSTON A/S Sweep MISSING

49 13 July 2020 [THE LAST FLIGHT OF WHITLEY Z.9517]

Bibliography and Sources

Primary Sources

K. McK. LESLIE, Casualty File National Archives of Australia (NAA), Casualty File: A705, 163/137/197 K. McK. LESLIE, Personal File National Archives of Australia (NAA), Personal file: A9301,405021 P. J. C. SAVAGE Personal File Canada, WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947 at www.Ancestry.co.uk J. R. R. METIVIER Personal File Canada, WWII Service Files of War Dead, 1939-1947 at www.Ancestry.co.uk

Secondary Sources

ROBERTS, R. N. The Whitley File (Tonbridge, Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1986) [ISBN 0-85130-127-4] THETFORD Owen Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918 (London, Putnam & Company, Sixth Edition 1976)

Websites

Ancestry.co.uk www.Ancestry.co.uk CWGC Commonwealth War Graves Commission http://www.cwgc.org Galicia and WWII http://galiciaenlasgm.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/whitley-z9517-1781942.html

50 13 July 2020 [THE LAST FLIGHT OF WHITLEY Z.9517]

The Last Flight of

Whitley Z.9517

www.BritishMilitaryHistory.co.uk

Robert PALMER, M.A.

Published by: The Author.

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