Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

The Whitley was the only medium bomber specification of the mid 1930’s to be designed specifically as a night bomber, and the first flight was carried out in March 1936.  Designed to replace the biplane bombers used by the RAF, the Whitley was obsolete in terms of performance by the outbreak of World War II.  The early variants used air cooled radial engines but later versions were fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin liquid cooled V12 resulting in improved performance and reliability.

The Whitley’s first operations of the war were on the night of 3^rd September 1939 when they were used to drop leaflets over Germany warning of the consequences of all out war.  By the spring of 1940 Wellingtons and Hampdens were taken off daylight operations due to the heavy losses inflicted by German day fighters and anti-aircraft fire.  These aircraft reverted to night bombing alongside the Whitley, and all three types were involved in the first raid on Berlin in August 1940.  A number of Whitleys took part in the first 1000 bomber raids in May 1942.

Over 1800 Whitleys were produced, but they were withdrawn from front line operations in late 1942.  The type was then used for transport and training in all theatres, carrying paratroops and towing gliders.  The Whitley was retired from RAF service in 1945.

Digression

 Many famous bomber pilots carried out early operations on the Whitley.  These included Leonard Cheshire VC (one time commander of 617 Squadron and founder of the Cheshire Homes), James ‘Willie’ Tait (took over 617 Squadron from Cheshire and commanded the raids to sink the battleship Tirpitz in late 1944 using ‘Tallboy’ bombs designed by Barnes Wallis) and Don Bennett (commander of the Pathfinder squadrons)

Survivors

 No complete airframes survive of this aircraft.  There are various restoration projects of sections of aircraft underway that in the main use components that have been recovered from various crash sites.  There is a fuselage section currently on display at the Midland Air Museum which is located next to the airfield that saw the maiden flight of the prototype.