ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 89206
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| Date: | Friday 10 May 1940 |
| Time: | 03:38 LT |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 102 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K8985 |
| MSN: | AWA.1438 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Nivelles AFB, Walloon Brabant -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire |
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley K8985 (DY-J) of 102 (Ceylon) Squadron, RAF: lost on combat operations when departed 8 September 1939 from RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire. Strayed into neutral airspace over Belgium, returning from a leaflet dropping mission over the Ruhr; were intercepted by aircraft of two squadrons (4/11/2Ae from Nivelles, flying single seat fighter Fairey Fireflies and 5/11/2Ae flying two seater Fairey Fox VIs from Nivelles also). The Whitley was forced by the Belgian fighters to land at Nivelles airfield, where it was disarmed and impounded by the Belgian authorities. It stayed in a hangar at Nivelles until it was destroyed in the German attack on May 10, 1940.
Crew:
Acting Flight Lieutenant W C G Cogman,
Pilot Officer Arthur William Mack, Service Number 40244
Sergeant G T Henry,
Aircraftman 1st Class A Steel and
Corporal S R Wood
New Zealander P/O A W Mack and his crew were interned in the Brussels Gendarmerie barracks from 9 September 1939 and later in the Borsbeek Fort near Antwerp. They naturally gained sympathy from the Belgians. Some Belgian airmen visited them during their captivity and it's understandable that the authorities did nothing to prevent their evasion!
During January 1940 P/O Mack with the others of his crew escaped dressed in Belgian uniforms provided by friendly Belgian soldiers. P/O Mack was back with his squadron in time to be promoted to Flying Officer on 24 March 1940.
Arthur William Mack survived the war, rising to the rank of Squadron Leader, and died on 20 August 1990, aged 71
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain 1976 p 75)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File Air 81/10: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141989
3. http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/WW2/belg%20Air%20Force.htm
4. http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=9149
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/10036.php
6. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york40/n1385.html
7. https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/whitley-k8985-te-nijvel .
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Jan-2011 13:14 | ThW | Added |
| 09-Feb-2011 06:47 | ThW | Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Dec-2011 15:18 | Uli Elch | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 25-Jan-2012 15:11 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source] |
| 31-May-2013 16:11 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 01-Jun-2019 17:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2019 20:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
| 03-Mar-2020 12:27 | TigerTimon | Updated [Total occupants, Other fatalities] |
| 27-Jun-2022 23:27 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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