Operation: Air Test

Date: 6th September 1941 (Saturday)

Unit No: 10 Squadron, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Whitley V

Serial: Z6932

Code: ZA:?

Base: RAF Leeming, Yorkshire

Location: RAF Brunton, Northumberland

Pilot: Flt Sgt. William Stuart R60298 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Pilot: Plt Off. Richard Scott Austin 403785 RNZAF Age 21. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Sgt. Peter Williams Bryant 976876 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Air Gnr: Sgt. Robert Whitlock 911919 RAFVR Age 29. Injured (1)

Above: Left to right: Flt Sgt. William Stuart (Courtesy of Operation Picture M), Plt Off. Richard S Austin (Courtesy Jenifer Lemaire), Sgt. Peter W. Bryant (Courtesy of David Miller, Sgt. Robert-Whitlock (Courtesy of the Birmingham Gazette, dated 21st June 1944)

REASON FOR LOSS:

Above: Whitley V Z9226 ZA:K from 10 Squadron

During an air test the crew lost bearings due to poor visibility and apparently navigation instrument failure.

They made a forced landing at RAF Brunton for a check of their position. The airfield was still under construction at this time but the crew decided that they could then take off again in the afternoon to return to their base. During the take-off it encountered a barrel on the edge of the runway, was diverted into steam-roller and finally stalled in endeavouring to clear high-tension (HT) cables in a nearby cornfield, striking the HT cables and crashing in flames. The only survivor was the rear gunner who was rescued from the aircraft

Mr. George Dickinson (2851078) an eye witness at the time, describes the incident (courtesy BBC Peoples War):

"On the 6th September 1941 I was serving with 410 Battery, 53rd Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (originally 5th Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers T.A.) on a site near Brunton, Christen Bank, Northumberland, when in the early evening an RAF Whitley plane number Z6932 circled the area. It came over so low that the crew could be seen. We tried to indicate that they should fly South to locate, RAF Acklington Airfield, but they eventually landed on the partially built Brunton Airfield some ½ mile away.

Note: The webmaster also served with the Northumberland Fusiliers, which then became the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment Fusiliers.

Three of my colleagues led by Lance Bombardier Bob Furness, from Gosforth ran up to meet the crew and they explained that they only had to follow the railway line Southwards to land at Acklington. The pilot stated that they had been out over the North Sea for testing and training but their navigational instruments had failed and they were lost.

They decided to take off again to locate Acklington. After taxiing to the end of the runway they took off North - South and as the plane became airborne the pilot was so low that he struck a steamroller causing the nose to come up sharply and come into contact with some live high tension wires which were still in place. The plane burst into flames and crashed.

Furness and his colleagues who were still nearby saw that the rear gunner was struggling to get out of the rear turret, which at that time was not in flames. They somehow managed to get him out, but were unable to do anything for the rest of the crew.

Another colleague and I, having seen the crash, jumped into our site van and rushed to the airfield in time to see the rescuers dragging the injured rear gunner away from the flames as the fuel tanks blew up and ammunition was popping all over the place. He managed to explain that there were no bombs on board and with great difficulty we managed to lift him to the floor of the van then we drove very slowly to a nearby farmhouse where he was given help before he was taken by ambulance to Newcastle General Hospital.

The 3 other members of the crew, Pilot Officer R..S Austin, RNZAF aged 21, Flight Sergeant W. Stuart, Pilot RCAF and Sergeant P.W. Bryant, Observer RAFVR perished in the flames. Austin and Stuart are buried in Chevington Churchyard, (Northumberland)”.

(1) After recovering from his injuries Sgt. Whitlock returned to active service. Later in the war he undertook further training, became a pilot, was appointed to a commission as 163028 Plt Off. (London Gazette 24th March 1944) and posted to the Middle East.

Tragically on the 16th June 1944 he was involved in an air crash while flying in Wellington X HE766 from 76 Operational Training Unit (76 OTU) based out of RAF Aqir in Palestine.

He was the only member of the crew of six (6) to be killed. The other crew members survived with only minor injuries. The crew abandoned the aircraft near Breha in Palestine during a night navigation exercise following an engine failure.

From reports received from the injured rear gunner and witnesses, it appeared that the captain landed at Brunton (an aerodrome under construction) because he had lost himself in bad visibility. On taking off the aircraft hit obstructions in the form of barrels along the runway, swung to the left, hit a steamroller with starboard wing, attempted to avoid H.T. cables after becoming airborne in a damaged condition, stalled and crashed.

Above: Courtesy of the Birmingham Evening Mail, 20th June 1944

Plt Off. Whitlock is buried at the Sidon War Cemetery, Grave 3.G.13. Son of Arthur and Amy Whitlock of Knightsbridge, London, England.

Burial details:

Flt Sgt. William Stuart. Chevington Cemetery, Section H, Grave 289. Grave inscription: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM OUR BELOVED SON. FOND LOVE WILL EVER LINGER WHERE HE IS LAID". Born on the 7th January 1920 in Calgary, Alberta. Son of Duncan and Christine Johann (née Gordon) Stuart of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Plt Off. Richard Scott Austin. Chevington Cemetery, Section H, Grave 284. Born on the 29th September 1919 at Pahialua. Son of Robert Cox and Amy Charity Baring (née Gould) Austin of Feilding, Wellington, New Zealand.

A total of 235 flying hours logged and understood to be flying as second pilot on his first operation.

Sgt. Peter Williams Bryant. Reading Crematorium, Panel 1. Born on the 16th April 1918 in Wembley, London. Son of Percy G. and Dorothy (née Butcher) Bryant of Tilehurst, Berkshire, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, George Dickinson and his article of the event on BBC Peoples War,Operation Picture Me (Sep 2019). Reviewed and updated with thanks to David Miller, who great uncle was Sgt. Byant, for his photograph (Mar 2026).

Other sources listed below:

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