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Widecombe-in-the-Moor

The Cave Penney Memorial, Corndon Down

Peter P Whitley




Peter Percy Whitley

Born 16th March 1910 at Barton Pines, Paignton.

Second son 0f William Wallace Whitley and Elizabeth Frances Whitehead.

Peter had 4 brothers, William Wallace, Herbert Hugh, Claude Charles, Edward Neil, and three sisters Mary, Dorothea and Eleanor. Peter was educated at Matfield Grange School, Tonbridge, and Bromsgrove school.

When Peter left school in 1928, he returned to the family home and was employed in the running of the family estate at Buckland.

On Saturday 11th June 1938 Peter married Primrose Vinen Heron-Varwell. In 1939 they lived in Ilsington.

On the 2nd May 1942 Peter was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Peter was trained as Bomber crew in the role of observer. He served with 57 Squadron Royal Air Force stationed at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. This squadron were the first RAF squadron to be equipped with the new Lancaster Heavy bomber in May 1942. Peter Whitley, as a serving member of a bomber crew in 57 Squadron would have taken part in the first 1000 bomber raid on Cologne, Germany on 30th May 1942.

On 15th October 1942 flying in Lancaster W 4130, Peter and his crewmates took off from RAF Scampton to fly on another of the frequent bombing raids on Cologne. His plane was classed as “missing”.

Peter Percy Whitley was declared dead on 15th October aged 32.

He is commemorated by a plaque inside St Peter’s Church Buckland in the Moor, a headstone in the churchyard, on the Holne Memorial Cross and on the RAF Runnymede memorial.

Lvii Squadron Insignia

Watch the Video of GIGANTIC 1,000 BOMBER RAID

Peter Whitley in Pictures

Click on an image for a larger view

Peter Percy Whitley (Whitley Family Photograph)
Peter Percy Whitley (Whitley Family Photograph)
Father: William Wallace Whitley (Western Morning News Archive)
Father: William Wallace Whitley (Western Morning News Archive)
WW2 RAF Observer Brevet (Photo Source Amazon)
WW2 RAF Observer Brevet (Photo Source Amazon)
Illustration Avro Lancaster Mk 1 Bomber (Photo Source Pinterest)
Illustration Avro Lancaster Mk 1 Bomber (Photo Source Pinterest)
Headstone In Buckland Church Yard Shared With Brother Edward (Whitley Family Photograph)
Headstone In Buckland Church Yard Shared With Brother Edward (Whitley Family Photograph)
Involvement In Village Life (Widecombe Archive Photograph)
Involvement In Village Life (Widecombe Archive Photograph)
Night Bombing Of Cologne (Picture Daily Telegraph)
Night Bombing Of Cologne (Picture Daily Telegraph)
Holne Cross Memorial Archive Photo
Holne Cross Memorial Archive Photo