THE FINAL YEAR.

   After a few months of  ‘flying a desk’, and his first break from flying in over seven years, John Sample was to return to operational flying. Number 263 Squadron were at that time the only operational squadron flying the Westland Whirlwind, a twin-engine fighter. The squadron was based at Charmy Down, near Bath, and it was decided that there should be another Squadron. This was to be 137 Squadron. Although John Sample had no experience on the Whirlwind, in fact he had no experience on twin-engine aircraft at all; he was appointed Commanding Officer of 137Squadron when it was born, September 30, 1941.

   The squadron was to be reinforced by a number of Officers and Sergeant pilots from 263 Squadron, providing a nucleus for the new 137 Squadron. Some eighteen Whirlwinds were drafted in from the Maintenance Units and flown into Charmy Down as part of the build up of strength of the squadron to become operational. First operational sortie fell to John Sample who, flying P 7053, along with South African pilot Flight Lieutenant C.A.G. Clark flying P 7050, attacked the railway sidings at Landernean near Brest, October 24, 1941. Sample attacked a railway engine pulling coal trucks and noted that the engine was pouring steam when he left it. The attack was deemed a success for the squadron’s first operational sortie. However, Flt Lt Clark was killed only six days later when his Whirwind fell into the sea: he was to be the squadron’s second casualty. 

   With one of the squadron’s flights operational, Sample now began to work on the other. John Sample led a section of three aircraft consisting of Sergeants Luing and Peskett with himself leading, from Charmy Down, October 28, 1941. The object of the exercise was simulated air attacks, which were to be carried out in the area to the south of Bath. The first part of the flight, the three aircraft carrying out formation turns, appeared to go without incident. Sergeant Luing was then told by Sample to break away and carryout a simulated attack from the rear. This he did, closing from a thousand yards down to 70 or 80 yards before breaking off his attack.

   John Sample, whether satisfied or not, told Sgt Luing to go round again and repeat the attack on both him, Sample, and Peskett. Sgt Luing did as ordered and turned his aircraft to carryout a further attack on the leading pair. As he turned, however, Sgt Luing noticed that one of the other aircraft was falling away apparently out of control. The leaders, Sample’s, aircraft had apparently struck Sgt Peskett’s aircraft which, although damaged, was limping away from the scene.

   What is certain about the accident is that Sample’s aircraft appears to have struck Sgt Peskett’s from in front and below. The Whirlwind of John Sample suffered serious damage to the fin and rear wing. With all lateral control gone, the aircraft entered a violent spin. It is also thought that the area around the cockpit may also have been damaged. Sample himself may have also been injured at this point. What is known; is that John Sample, according to various eyewitness accounts, took a long time to clear his stricken Whirlwind. Still spinning violently, Sample’s Whirlwind crashed through the roof of a cowshed on Manor Farm, Englishcombe. John Sample, at last free of his stricken Whirlwind, had managed to vacate his aircraft too late. His parachute failed to deploy properly and John Sample collided with the roof of the Farmhouse only a short distance from where his aircraft had ended its flight. Sgt Peskett managed to return to base where his aircraft was found to be damaged but repairable on the station. Squadron Leader John Sample DFC was the squadrons first fatality.

   The collision was witnessed but, as with all mid-air collisions, the evidence varies due mainly to the suddenness of the event. One report states that the aircraft were flying as low as 1,000 feet when the collision occurred. Another states that they were flying at around 7,000 feet while yet another puts the height at around 3,500 feet. All appear to agree that Sample’s aircraft appeared to drift up into the path of Sgt Peskett’s aircraft. Former 504 Squadron pilot Ray Holmes, adds further fuel to the flames when he stated in his book: ‘Sky Spy’, that Sample may have switched off his fuel to give Sgt Peskett a ‘wake up’ call. But then this is the area of pure speculation and nothing else as Ray Holmes was not even there. 

   One researcher was to state quite categorically that John Sample was initially buried at Haycombe Cemetery near Bath. Not only is this unlikely but totally wrong. John Sample was buried only once and that was at St Andrew’s Church Bothal, Northumberland. The funeral taking place November 3, 1941, John Sample was laid to rest within the family plot to the east side of the church. The Bishop of Lindisfarne rather than the local vicar carried out the service. The local press in the form of the Morpeth Herald gave praise, in its issue of October 31, 1941, with the headline: ‘Gallant Airman Killed’ It then goes on to give a brief resume of his flying career before noting that he was one of those: ‘Weekend Flyers’.

   John Sample is remembered today on the War Memorial in the village of Longhirst, Northumberland, the village of John Sample’s birth. His is the only name added for those who fell in World War Two. In the village of Bothal, he is remembered on the family gravestone, a tall granite erection that over the years has become a bit forlorn looking due mainly to the thin green layer of moss that covered it, the churchyard at this point having a large amount of trees. His grave has no CWGC headstone and the only way we know that a serviceman is buried there is because of the rank and DFC depicted. In the last year or so, the gravestone has been thoroughly cleaned and now looks as if it befits a fallen warrior. Sadly, his wrong age is given in the church records. Every year a ceremony takes place at the local cenotaph, a mere fifty yards from the grave of John Sample, laying wreaths of poppies to the fallen. In over fifty years, I have never known a poppy to be laid at the grave of John Sample. 

   After the end of World War Two it was decided by John Sample’s mother to mark the occasion of her son’s passing. Mrs Kate Isobel Sample presented a silver cup to the Northumbrian Pipers Society in 1949. This was to be known as the John Sample Cup and was to be presented at Alnwick to the winner of the small pipes class of the piping competition. It was to be in honour of her son, also a noted piper. Although a Northumbrian Bagpipes Museum exists in the town of Morpeth, some two miles from the birthplace of John Sample, They have little knowledge of the John Sample Cup. Neither do they have knowledge of why it was presented or its present whereabouts.

   The personal photograph album of Squadron Leader John Sample DFC, from which most of these photographs were taken, is a smallish, black, leather bound volume. None of the photographs are captioned and there are very few of John Sample himself. Occasionally, he scribbled a name across a photograph as a personal memento. The album ends suddenly with a few blank pages and two photographs of Westland Whirlwinds. Both photographs are much used in various publications and are standard official photographs. Both are also of 263 Squadron aircraft. This is about all that has been passed down through history to us in remembrance of Squadron Leader John Sample DFC. As an epitaph to John Sample I think it can best be covered by Ray Holmes who wrote: ‘…you could never meet a nicer bloke; quiet and gentle but a firm inspiring CO. We all had the utmost confidence in him, and when he led us head-on into a swarm of Messerchmitts nobody hung back’.

RETURN.