P/O Richard Whitley RAFVR and crew - 103 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds - 1944
Failed to Return - 11/12th May 1944 - Avro Lancaster III - JB733 - Op Hasselt
Richard Whitley ( pictured above ) and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at the end of January or beginning of February 1944 from HCU. They completed 17 ops being lost on their 18th. During his time with 103 Squadron Whitley was promoted to P/O. Their full tour is as follows :-
15-Feb-44 - Berlin - Lancaster - JB655 - F/S R Whitley
19-Feb-44 - Leipzig – Lancaster - ND402 - F/S R Whitley
20-Feb-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster - ND402 - F/S R Whitley
18-Mar-44 - Frankfurt - Lancaster - ND402 - F/S R Whitley
22-Mar-44 - Frankfurt - Lancaster - ND402 - F/S R Whitley
24-Mar-44 - Berlin - Lancaster - ND420 - P/O R Whitley - Landed at East Moor
26-Mar-44 - Essen - Lancaster - ND402 - P/O R Whitley - Early return - Crashed on landing. Engine trouble. Brakes failed and undercarriage collapsed on landing and aircraft caught fire. Aircraft damage beyond repair
30-Mar-44 - Nuremberg - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
09-Apr-44 - Gdynia Bay - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
10-Apr-44 - Aulnoye - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
20-Apr-44 - Cologne - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
22-Apr-44 - Dusseldorf - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
23-Apr-44 - Borholm & Pomeranian Bay - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
01-May-44 - Lyons - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
03-May-44 - Mailly-le-Camp - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
06-May-44 - Aubigne Racan - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
10-May-44 - Heligoland Bight - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley
11-May-44 – Hasselt - Lancaster - JB733 - P/O R Whitley - FTR - Crashed at Loenhout, Belgium.
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P/O Richard Whitley RAFVR - Pilot- 22 – 103 Sqn - Son of Robert John and Mary Whitley, of Woodsmoor, Stockport, Cheshire – Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
Sgt Keith Lund Ramage RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of James Lund Ramage and Hilda Lund Ramage, of Dartford, Kent - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
W/O James Alexander Carter RCAF – Navigator - 27 – 103 Sqn - Son of Robert Alexander Carter and May Carter, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
Sgt John William Smith RAFVR – Air Gunner – 103 Sqn - Son of Samuel and Edith Annie Smith; husband of Doris May Smith, of Wyken, Warwickshire. Wyken, Warwickshire - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
F/S Ronald Bennett Webb RAFVR – Air Bomber - 28 – 103 Sqn - Son of Lionel and Ethel Webb; husband of Maisie Webb, of Chiswick, Middlesex - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
Sgt Peter Neller Crutchfield RAFVR – Wireless Operator - 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of Aruther and Edith Crutchfield, of Hayes, Middlesex - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
Sgt Kenneth Mark Martin RAFVR – Air Gunner - 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of Clifford Arbor Martin and Muriel Edith Martin, of Thorpe Bay, Essex - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Belgium.
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It was always thought that JB733 was a night fighter victim. However in recent times information has come to light which suggests that this aircraft may have been involved in a collision with a 101 Squadron Lancaster from Ludford Magna. JB733 was badly damaged and fell away in a terminal dive to crash into the ground. The 101 Squadron crew survived and pressed on to the target in their damaged aircraft. On return they crash landed with a damaged undercarriage and their aircraft was written off.
John Jones now confirms that Theo Boiten states
Took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 21:58.
Claim by Oblt Werner Baake 2/NJG1 - 28km North East of Antwerp at 00:42.
(Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1944 Part 2 - Theo Boiten)
Crashed Loenhout, Wuustwezel, Antwerp.
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The crew were initially buried in Fort 3 British Cemetery Antwerp.
Reinterred 21 December 1945.
In 2009 a memorial was dedicated to this crew at the crash site at Hallaar at a ceremony attended by local dignitaries and people etc and family members of this crew.
Item written by David Fell with the photo from a Belgian source sent many years ago. I am sorry to say I have forgotten who sent this. Thanks once again to John Jones for his excellent input
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