ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 225789
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| Date: | Tuesday 24 October 1939 |
| Time: | 23:15 |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 77 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N1358 |
| MSN: | AWA.1522 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea, 60 miles East of RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire |
| RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B.Mk.V, N1358 (KN-T) of 77 Squadron, RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire; lost on combat operations late on the evening of 24 October 1939. The aircraft left RAF Driffield at 18:50 Local Time, headed for the ports of Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven. At 23:15 Local Time, a W/T signal was intercepted, indicating a position 60 miles off the East coast of UK. Search And Rescue operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the crew.
Crew of Whitley N1358 (all posted as "Missing, Presumed Killed in action"):
Pilot - Sgt Reginald Austin Bigger RAF (580320), of Holywood, County Down, Republic of Ireland.
Second Pilot - P/O Philip Edwin William Walker RAF (70706), of Kentish Town, London.
Observer - Sgt George Jonathan Burrell RAF (510603), of Hitcham, Suffolk.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner - AC1 Alexander Bernard Bogle MacDonald RAF (551388).
Air Gunner - AC.1 James Alfred Topham RAF (551613), of Bromley Cross, Lancashire.
NOTE: The official Air Ministry file on this incident (File AIR 81/33) at the National Archives wrongly lists the Whitley involved as "N1258" (sic). However, production of this batch of Whitley B.Mk.Vs began with 50 aircraft, serials N1345 to N1394 inclusive.(Presumed N1358 mis-typed as "N1258")
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/33: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142116
3. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-armstrong-whitworth-aw38-whitley-v-north-sea-5-killed
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1529783/bigger,-reginald-austin/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1809494/walker,-philip-edwin-william/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1530890/burrell,-george-jonathan/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1079241/macdonald,-alexander-bernard-bogle/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1808928/topham,-james-alfred/
9. https://www.backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/whitley/24495-N13581939-10-25.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Jun-2019 18:00 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 04-Jun-2019 04:13 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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